Struck by lightning
by Shaz112
Summary: Pearl Norman has a perfect life, perfect family and perfect friends. But she is the resident of Mystic Falls where perfect can never stays perfect. How will she cope with the changes that the new people will bring with them. Follow her through her journey and see how she will deal will everything that comes her way. Damon/OC/Klaus
1. Chapter : 1

THE CHANGE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

Mystic Falls was a small town in the southwestern of Virginia. The town was formed by the founding families in 1859. It was famous for its mythical history. It was said that after the civil war, the place became a home for many supernatural creatures like vampires, werewolves and witches. But it was all in the pages of past and the inhabitants didn't believe these legends anymore…or did they.

Our story revolves around one family that was a resident of this town— the Norman Family. This story is about the past, present and future. A story of hate, passion, anger and betrayal. A story about the kind of love that consumes you, a love that makes you forget about all the differences and a love that destroys you. A story of never ending deaths; a tale of life and immortality. It tells you how one moment can change people's life in a blink.

The Norman family also took part in the town's establishment. Miss Norman lived with her two children- a girl and a boy, in a nice big house that was passed down in the family. The house was very huge with many bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, corridors and basement. Most of the rooms in the house were put to no use and were locked.

Angela Norman, a charming woman with sleek black hairs and big black eyes was a doctor at Mystic Falls general hospital. She was in her mid thirties and was a single mother. Her husband had died in a plane crash and they moved to Mystic Falls, since then the family was living a peaceful life there.

Pearl Norman was oldest among the siblings. She was seventeen years old with dark brown eyes and dark black long hairs reaching down her back and was cut in layers. She had a small stature of 5'1 with a round innocent face that could fool anybody. She had a tomboyish aura around her and wasn't into girls stuff.

Seth Norman was fifteen years old boy with dark brown short cropped hairs and hazel eyes. He was taller than Pearl, about 5'6 in height and loved to point out that difference to her sister when she tried to act bossy. He was a trouble maker following in the footsteps of his elder sister.

The Norman family was living a happy, peaceful and calm life. They were always there for each other; always stick together through thick and thin. The siblings still fought and had arguments but at the end of the day they knew nothing was stronger than the bond of the family. But they didn't know that nothing was everlastingly. There were things in the world that could even break the strongest of the bonds.

* * *

A new day

A new beginning

The alarm clock buzzed and a girl with black long hairs woke with a start. Shutting the alarm on the bedside table, she stood up from the bed, rolled her hairs and tied them up in an untidy bun using her clip.

She opened the curtains of a vast window in her bedroom and let the sun rays entering the spacious room, illuminating it with bright light making everything glow.

She rushed to the bathroom and took a shower washing out the laziness. She dried her petite frame with a fluffy towel and got dressed in casual faded jeans with a black buttoned up checked shirt. After drying her thick hairs and combing them thoroughly not leaving a single knot in them, she tied them up in a messy bun wasting all her efforts.

She wore her worn out sneakers leaving the new ones her mother had bought last week which were pink in color. Then raced downstairs into the kitchen where her mother was setting up a breakfast table.

"Morning mum", she greeted her mother with a bright smile.

"Morning dear", her mother greeted back. "Where is Seth?" her mother asked about her younger sibling.

"Must be adding tons of gel to his spikes", she replied taking her spot on the table.

Her mother nodded and occupied a place at the table too.

"How is Elena?" her mother asked. Elena was Pearl's best friend since she moved to Mystic Falls. She had recently lost her parents in an accident.

"Trying to act normal, saying she is fine but I know she is not", Pearl said sadly, sipping her coffee.

"Yeah it's kind of hard to be normal again after such great tragedy but she is a strong girl. She will be fine", Angela told her daughter.

"Morning everyone", Seth hollered loudly entering the kitchen and took a seat beside Pearl taking her coffee mug from her hands.

"You know we are not deaf, right", Pearl said to her brother snatching the mug back from.

"Not sure about you", he responded.

"Shut up", Pearl snapped.

Seth smirked at her sister at which she rolled her eyes.

The Normans had breakfast and then Angela dropped her two children to Mystic Falls high school. Seth separated from Pearl for meeting his friend Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's brother and Pearl made her way to meet her friends.

She saw her two best friends Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennet walking the hallways. She sprinted to them hitting Bonnie on the head to gain attention.

"Hey fellas", she said to them with a smirk.

"Hey, Pearl", they responded in unison.

Pearl linked arms with Elena and Bonnie and the three of them started walking.

"Well you are happy today… what happened? You didn't had an early morning fight with your brother", Bonnie asked seeing the cheery mood of her friend which was unusual as she always came to school with a bad mood cursing her brother about their fight.

"No we made a deal last night about no early morning fights", Pearl replied.

"That's real mature, Pearl", Elena said with a lovely smile.

The trio reached the lockers and Pearl saw Matt standing across from them giving longing looks to Elena. Pearl waved in his direction and he smiled at her. Elena saw her short friend waving at Matt and also gave him a soft smile with a wave, but he walked away after slamming his locker.

"Oh boy", Pearl sighed seeing the interaction.

"He hates me", Elena said looking back at her two friends.

"That's not hate. That's "you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to air supply's greatest hits", Bonnie said.

"I copy that", Pearl piped up.

"Elena. Oh, my god. How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you", Caroline Forbes, their chirpy blonde friend came and hugged Elena tightly. "How is she? Is she okay?" she asked Pearl at which she raised her eyebrows funnily.

"Caroline, I'm right here. And I'm fine. Thank you", Elena said to her bubbly friend.

"Really…", Caroline questioned simply.

"Yes. Much better", Elena said with a believable smile but Pearl could see right through it.

"Oh, you poor thing", Caroline said hugging Elena again.

"Hey, Care, Tiki was looking for you", Pearl lied sensing her best friend's discomfort.

"Oh! Ok, see you guys later?" Caroline said walking away.

"Bye", Bonnie said while Pearl waved at her.

Elena and Bonnie looked at Pearl with grins on their beautiful faces and accusing looks in their eyes.

"What", Pearl asked acting clueless.

"She won't be happy when she will find out you lied to her", Bonnie warned Pearl.

"Well I can handle that", Pearl replied nonchalantly.

Elena saw Jeremy entering the boys' toilet and she followed him.

"Hey Elena where are you going", Pearl called after her.

"I'll be back in a minute", she replied looking backwards and entered the toilet.

"Why she walked in there?" Bonnie questioned looking at her brown-eyed short framed friend.

"Don't know… let me check", Pearl said also following Elena.

When Pearl got inside the toilets she saw the two Gilberts arguing about Jeremy having drugs. She leaned against the wall adjusting her bag strap.

"What are you doing here", Seth said from behind her.

Pearl looked back at her brother, and then grabbed his hand dragging him out of the toilets.

"What is it, Pearl", he asked snatching his hand away.

"You said you will talk to Jer", she stated.

"About what… ", he said acting naïve.

"About him having drugs… you said you will make him understand but he is still having drugs", she reminded him.

"Well I talked to him… he got angry and asked me to shut my mouth", Seth replied seriously.

"Such a great friend you are, Seth", Pearl said sarcasm dripping from every word.

"Thanks", he responded with sarcasm too and walked away.

The three friends reached their first class of the day- History. Pearl sat with her tall brunette friend while Bonnie was on a seat right behind them.

"Once our home state of Virginia joined confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia's northwest region had different ideals than those from the traditional deep south. Then Virginia divided in 1863 with the northwest region joining the union", their history teacher Mr. Tanner said in a boring tone.

Pearl was doodling on her notebook not hearing a word Tanner was saying.

In Pearl's opinion the most boring period in the world was History. Tanner was continuously blabbering about town's history that passed over Pearl's head. To Pearl he seemed like a sleeping pill on two legs.

"Miss Norman is there anything more important than my lesson in that notebook of yours", Tanner said sternly.

"No, Sir. I am just noting everything down, makes it easier to remember the important events, Sir", she lied smoothly.

"Okay", Tanner responded, a little embarrassed at scolding the girl for no reason.

"That's how you note important events", Elena said in a hushed voice, gesturing towards the drawing of Mickey Mouse that Pearl had made on her notebook.

"Well I want to do something productive… better to polish my drawing abilities rather than wasting time on something that passes over my head", Pearl whispered.

Elena stifled a laugh at her friend's comment and tried to pay attention that was almost impossible with Pearl beside her.

The school ended and Bonnie dropped Pearl off at the Norman's residence.

The whole day was spent like every day at Norman's residence. The family had dinner and then Pearl and Seth told their mother about the day's events. They laughed, joked and both siblings had a little fight too but it was ended by their mother before the situation got out of hand sending both of them to their respective rooms.

The Norman's didn't know that nothing was going to be same anymore- that the change was about to begin.

Pearl completed her homework leaving her study table in a mess. Her eyes started getting heavy while watching a movie on her laptop. She shut the lid of her laptop without bothering to turn it off. Pearl changed into her comfy bed clothes and laid on the fluffy bed. She closed her eyes and soon lost herself in the dream world unaware of the crow that was sitting on her window ledge watching her intently.

* * *

Near the Wickery Bridge in Mystic Falls stood a vast ancient looking building with lush green grounds surrounding it- the Salvatore boarding house. It was built in 1914 and ran down in the family from father to son.

In the middle of the night a guy around seventeen to nineteen with straight dark brown hairs and deep forest green eyes made his way towards the boarding house door. He rang the door bell a few times. The door was opened by Zach Salvatore, a man in his early thirties, the current caretaker of the boarding house.

"Uncle, Stef", Zach Salvatore said shocked at seeing the boy, all traces of sleep gone from his eyes.

"Hey Zach", Stefan said.

"What are you doing here?" Zach asked Stefan with a not so welcoming tone, looking at the enormous bag in Stefan's hands.

"I have come to live here, Zach", Stefan replied. "May I…", he added gesturing for him to gave him some space to enter inside.

"But uncle Stef", Zach began.

"I am not here to hurt anyone, don't worry", Stefan pressed. "I have everything controlled".

Zach moved from the door way allowing his uncle Stefan, who appeared a lot younger than him, to get inside.

Stefan entered the house's living room that was cluttered with ancient items and paintings and antique furniture. The place held a lot of painful memories for him. Everything in the place reminded him of his misery, his eternal struggle to survive, his endless pain and agony. But now he had a hope, a light in his life but he was too scared because his happiness never lasted longer.

He made his way upstairs where his room was with his luggage dragging behind him without any effort.

"What about Damon", Zach asked worriedly bringing up the dreaded name.

A sudden fear engulfed Stefan but he composed himself.

"I don't know where he is", Stefan deadpanned.

"What if he follows you here uncle Stef. You know him…", Zach said, anxious.

"He won't. It has been more than a decade since I had seen him", Stefan responded. They both stopped outside him room.

"Okay… tell me if you need anything", Zach said and left.

Stefan brought out a rusted key and put it in the keyhole. He unlocked the door with a click and got inside. He fumbled for the light switch and found it in seconds. He turned the switch on. Soon the light flooded in the room lightening everything in it.

At last Stefan felt like he was home. The place had the reminiscence of various events some happy but most of them were dark, painful. But the harder he tried to forget the clearer they became in his mind.

The room was still in the same condition as he had left it last time apart from a thin layer of dust covering every inch of it. The book shelves had numerous journals that had the memories of his life and undead existence, of his happiness and sorrow. He put his luggage at one side and picked a journal and went through it. His eyes stopped on a picture.

_Katherine Pierce_

_1864_

He stared at the picture for sometime but then put it back because that wasn't what he was searching for. After sometime his search was finished and a lovely smile made its way on his lips when he saw her picture.

It was a picture of a girl with dark black long hairs with slight curls and beautiful eyes. A beautiful smile was carved on her face that reached her eyes. Under the picture was captioned:-

_Silvia Norman_

_1864_

His eyes began to read an entry in his journal.

_February, 1864_

_Damon came back first time after joining the Confederate Army. We spend the entire day together. I also forgot to escort Silvia to her piano lessons. She visited our home later and Damon saw her for the first time. It was clear that he liked Silvia the way he looked at her._

_**Flashback (1864)**_

_A girl with dark black long hairs wearing a simple blue dress entered the Salvatore mansion calling for her best friend._

"_Stef", he voice echoed in the home. She elegantly reached up the stairs continuously calling for her friend with her hairs bouncing in every direction._

"_Livia you are lucky father is not home or you will be in for a worst scolding of your life", Stefan said coming out from his room._

"_Mr. Salvatore is having tea with father at the Norman's residence... so you don't need to be concerned about me", she replied with a warm smile. "You didn't accompany me to my lessons", she added._

"_My apologies…I was catching up with my brother", Stefan replied._

_ Just as on cue the door opposite to Stefan's room opened and out came a guy in his early twenties with dark black curly hairs and crystal blue eyes. He smiled at Silvia and she gave him a shy smile accompanied by a slight blush on her cheeks._

_Stefan smiled at the interaction._

"_Livia this is Damon, my brother. Damon this is Silvia Norman", Stefan did the introductions. "Livia's family moved to the Norman's residence two months ago"._

"_Nice meeting you miss Norman", Damon said taking Silvia's hand and kissing at its back._

"_Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Salvatore", Silvia said shyly._

_End of flash back_

Damon… the mere name was enought to bring back painful memories. For hundreds of years he had been running from his dark shadow, from him but he never succeeded. Everywhere he went his past followed him, his pain, his guilt, and his loss followed him- Damon followed him. But he wished for this time to be different, different from those hundreds years of running scared of being caught by his past, caught by his fears and guilt, caught by darkness. He wished for light and for joy.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-**

**Hey guys, here is my TVD fanfiction. Hope you people like it. It will follow the season one time line but I have made a lot of changes in it. Review and tell me your opinion about it.**

**Like always constructive criticism, suggestions and any questions are welcomed. Tell me what you think about Pearl.**

**As for my Supernatural story, sorry for the delay but something seriously went wrong with my laptop after I accidentally dropped it;-) My new chapters were in that drive and I am too lazy to write them again. So until it gets fixed I'll continue with this one.**


	2. Chapter: 2

MYSTIC FALLS- NOT SAME ANYMORE

The buzzing of the morning alarm awoke Pearl from her deep sleep. She got up from her bed removing the tangled up covers and sleepily walked into the bathroom, her hairs disheveled from the sleep. She took her morning shower and got dressed in a dark blue jeans and a white plain shirt.

Pearl was dealing with her messy wet locks in a vanity mirror when the door of her room was knocked and she heard Seth calling her name from the other side. She put the hair brush on the dresser opened the door.

Seth was standing there all ready. Pearl was indeed surprised to see him all set for school because normally he was the one who took all the time in the world to get ready, though Pearl was the girl in the family.

"What?" she asked him from the partly open door.

"Well last night mum went to the hospital and she hasn't returned yet", Seth informed her. "There was an emergency so she told me to tell you but I forgot".

"Okay… so how are we going to school", Pearl questioned.

"You mean how are you going to school?" Seth corrected her.

"What", Pearl said not understanding. A sound of car horn gained both siblings' attention and they became quite for few seconds.

"Well I asked Paul to pick me up, he is here", Seth said. He turned to leave.

"Wait for me, just give me five minutes", Pearl hollered to her brother who was walking away.

"Sorry but Paul is in hurry", Seth shouted back running down the stairs with quick steps.

"Seth, you moron… ", she yelled heatedly, after him and heard the slamming of door in return.

She entered the room bursting with rage at her brother. Sometimes Pearl even went to the extents of thinking that Seth might be her step brother when he purposefully did such things. She made a mental note of taking her revenge and started formulating different plans while searching for her phone messing up the room even more than it already was.

Finally she found her phone tangled up in her covers. She dialed Bonnie's number from her immediate contacts and heard the sound of beep.

"Hey", Pearl heard Bonnie's voice as she picked the phone on second ring.

"Hey… Can you pick me up", she asked in haste.

"Yeah… I'll be there in five", Bonnie responded.

"Okay", Pearl replied and hung up.

She tied her black hairs in a tight knot at the back of her head and speedily put her things in the bag that she had left last night on her study table.

The car horn honked and Pearl rushed downstairs with her school bag slung over her shoulder.

She exited the house locking the door behind her and reached Bonnie's car opening the back seat door as Elena was in the other front seat.

"Hey guys", Pearl said sitting in the back seat.

"Hey", both girls responded.

"Why you called in such an emergency", Bonnie asked looking at Pearl in the rearview mirror.

"My jerk of a brother forgot to tell me mum left for hospital last night and didn't return", she replied adjusting her shirt's collar.

The other two girls giggled.

"That's not funny guys", Pearl said sullenly. "Let's change the topic before I explode with anger".

"Okay so grams is telling me I'm psychic", Bonnie started. "Our ancestors were from Salem, which isn't all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands", she rambled on.

"So you are a psychic now", Pearl and Elena said at the same time.

"This never gets old", Bonnie gave the girls amused looks referring to their talking at the same time. Pearl and Elena occasionally said same things at the same time and even could complete each other's sentences. Well these things happened when you spent almost your entire lives around each other.

Elena turned in her seat and she and Pearl shared a smirk.

"Okay, then predict something about me", Elena asked after turning at the front.

"I see", Bonnie started but suddenly a huge bird collided with the car's windshield and the three girls shrieked because of the impact.

"What was that", Pearl asked breathlessly, putting a hand over her fast beating heart.

"It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere. Oh, my god! Elena, are you ok?" Bonnie asked worriedly looking at the tall brunette sitting beside her.

"It's ok. I'm fine", Elena replied.

"You sure", Pearl questioned with doubt, leaning forward.

"Really", Elena insisted. "I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life", she continued looking at her two best friends who were giving her anxious glances.

"I predict this year is going to be kick ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you are going to be beyond happy", Bonnie said firmly.

The three girls smiled at each other with hope and happiness in their eyes, ready for the start of a new day of school.

Sometimes these new days weren't any different from yesterdays, nothing eventful, no changes, just the same. But sometimes they were so life changing that even after years you still couldn't get used to the changes they brought.

The trio reached school and saw Caroline strutting towards them her blonde locks bouncing with every step.

"Hey musketeers", Caroline said, approaching them.

"Hey Care", the three of them greeted their beautiful blonde friend.

"So what's the news, Miss 'Mystic falls high school' correspondent", Pearl asked Caroline as the three made for their first class. Pearl had given this title to her because Caroline was the most active one when it came to gossip and knows stuff that the three girls were unaware of.

"A new guy is joining today and I have heard he is super hot", Caroline gushed.

"Okay", Pearl said uninterested, with a shrug.

They reached their history class and occupied their respective seats; Bonnie and Caroline were seated together behind Elena and Pearl.

As usual Tanner was telling them about the town's history boring everyone to death. It was one of those few days when Pearl sat at the front of the class because no other seats were available so she couldn't take the shelter of her notebook drawing different things. She was trying to act attentive but it was impossible with her eyelids drooping with sleep.

"May I come in sir", a guy with dark brown hairs and forest green eyes asked coming at the class door. He had a brooding and mysterious aura around him.

"Yes", Tanner answered beckoning him to come inside.

The guy entered the classroom and most of the girls started swooning giving him fan girl looks. He was tall about 5'11 and had a lean and athletic built.

He gave Mr. Tanner a slip and Tanner nodded. The brown-haired boy made his way towards the seat beside the window and sat there. Tanner continued with his lecture and Pearl huffed with annoyance.

Elena's phone vibrated in her pocket and she took it out carefully so that their strict history teacher couldn't see. Pearl looked at her friend while she was reading the text and noticed a blush rising on her cheeks. She nudged Elena and silently asked for her phone by extending her delicate hands. Elena shyly smiled giving Pearl her phone.

It was a text from Bonnie that said 'Hawt-e. Staring U'.

Pearl turned a little in her seat glancing in new guy's direction. She saw his gaze fixed on her tall brown-haired friend. The guy felt Pearl's stare and looked at her with a smiling face. Pearl responded with a slight twitching of her lips and turned her attention back at Elena, winking.

"Miss Norman pay attention", Tanner said warningly.

"Okay, sir", Pearl said rolling her eyes.

* * *

The school ended and Pearl reached home riding with Bonnie. When she arrived she saw Seth was already home sitting in the living room, his attention fixed on the television.

Pearl walked towards him with slow steps trying not to make a sound that could alert Seth and stood right behind him. She folded her sleeves above her arms, rubbed her palms together with a mischievous smile on her full lips. She finally lifted her right hand and hit him hard on the head.

The sudden hit startled Seth and he turned back glaring daggers at his sister.

"What the hell, Pearl", Seth said, his hand rubbing the spot where Pearl had smacked.

"Payback is a bitch", Pearl shouted and sprinted up the stairs to her room, her musical laugh echoing in the house.

She threw her bag on the bed and rested beside it closing her eyes. Her phone beeped and she brought it out of her jeans pocket. It was a text from Elena asking to meet at the grill. She texted her back with an 'okay' and then changed into a long sleeved blue shirt. She untied her dark black long hairs from the messy bun and tied them again in a loose ponytail.

Pearl walked downstairs and sat beside her brother on the couch snatching the remote from him. She began to change the channels.

"I was watching that", Seth whined.

"So", Pearl said with a shrug.

"You are being extra mean today Pearl", Seth stated. "What happened? You woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" he added.

"Sssshhh… ", Pearl put a finger on her lips asking him to keep quite as she was watching her favorite show.

They heard the sound of door opening and then closing. After a few moments their mother entered the living room looking exhausted.

"Hey mum", Seth and Pearl greeted Angela.

"Hey", Angela said back with a bright smile, the bigger part of her tiredness gone by the mere sight of her children. She occupied a seat on the other couch.

"What took you so long mum", Pearl asked her mother, muting the television volume.

"There was an animal attack. A guy and a girl were brought to the hospital badly injured", Angela informed her daughter.

"How are they now", Pearl asked worry clearly visible on her small rounded face.

"We tried everything but they couldn't make it", Angela said with a grim tone.

Pearl nodded seriously.

"Okay I am going to get freshen up", Angela said standing up. "Then I'll make dinner".

"Mum I'll be meeting with Elena and others at the grill so don't make anything for me", Pearl said.

Angela nodded at Pearl and walked away.

"How is Jer?" Pearl asked Seth randomly. Jeremy was like a brother to her. She was worried about his present condition as much as Elena was.

"Well him and Tyler are fighting over Vicki Donovan", Seth replied.

"Still having drugs", Pearl asked with a questioning tone to her voice.

"Still having drugs", Seth replied solemnly, nodding at his sister's way.

"Okay… I gotta go", she said and gave the remote back to her brother standing up from the couch and made for the door.

"Hey, take care and be careful", Seth yelled after her.

"I will", Pearl shouted back.

She got outside into the chilly air and reached her mother's car. She saw a crow sitting on the car's hood.

"Shoo", she tried to make him go away using her hands but it didn't even budge and looked at her like she was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Okay you little dickey bird, move", Pearl said trying again but it was sitting still.

"That's it I am done… enjoy the ride", she said unlocking the car and occupied driver's seat. As the monstrous engine came to life and the car started moving, the crow flew away.

Pearl parked the car outside the grill and entered it. Her eyes roamed around the place searching for familiar faces and found Bonnie sitting with Matt.

"Hey Bon, hey Matt", she said reaching them. She took a seat beside Bonnie. Both of them greeted her back.

"So what you kids were talking about", Pearl asked putting both arms on the table, leaning forward.

"Well Matt was asking me about how Elena is doing", Bonnie replied.

"Well she is trying to be fine… she needs some time. It's only been four months", Pearl responded staring at the blonde boy.

"That's what I told him", Bonnie said with a smile.

"Has she said anything about me?" Matt asked looking hopefully at the two girls.

"Oh, no… we are so not getting in the middle. You pick up the phone and call her", Bonnie presented her idea.

"Yeah, Matt… Bonnie is right, you need to talk to her yourself… try to settle things yourself", Pearl said agreeing with her friend.

"I feel weird calling her. She broke up with me", Matt said.

"Give it more time, Matt", Bonnie replied and Pearl agreed.

Just then Elena entered the grill with none other than the new guy on her side, crushing Matt's hope.

"More time, huh?" Matt gave a sour look to Pearl and Bonnie and vacated his seat.

"I am happy for Elena but sad for Matt too", Pearl sighed staring at Matt's back who was talking to Elena and the new guy.

"Well he will get over it", Bonnie told Pearl. "And Stefan makes Elena happy".

"Stefan… that's his name", Pearl asked.

"Yeah, Stefan Salvatore… Caroline told me", Bonnie answered.

Elena saw her two best friends sitting on a table. She and Stefan came to them taking seats on the same table. Soon Caroline joined them too and after that the inquiry session started.

"So, you were born in mystic falls?" Caroline asked, starting the session after they had proper introductions

"Mm-Hmm. And moved when I was still young", Stefan responded with a nod.

"Parents?" Bonnie was next.

"My parents passed away", Stefan said with sorrow.

"I'm sorry", Elena said honestly. "Any siblings?" she asked with a lovely smile.

"None that I talk to. I live with my uncle", Stefan answered and looked in Pearl's direction who was listening the whole conversation but didn't take part in inquiring the fresh meat.

"Zach is your uncle?" Pearl spoke for the first time since the introductions.

"You know Zach", Stefan questioned.

"Yeah, he is kind of a family friend", Pearl answered.

Zach was like a family to her. Her mum had told her that he was one of her father's best friends when he lived in Mystic Falls and they were still in contact before Eric Norman, Pearl's father, died.

"So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow", Caroline piped up.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls", Bonnie explained.

"Are you going?" Stefan directed at Elena.

"Of course she is", Pearl said nudging Elena's arm. Elena smiled nervously tucking a stray lock behind her ear with red covering her cheeks.

Pearl looked at how happy her friend was. Stefan coming into Elena's life can be a sign that dark times are going to be finally over- Pearl thought. But the petite pretty girl didn't know how wrong she was. That it was just the beginning- the beginning of a dark love tale.

* * *

The next day in history class the four friends were sitting on their usual seats and Tanner was standing at the front, beside the board, his eyes wandering everywhere in the classroom in search of his target. Pearl was, as always, brushing up her drawing skills not paying attention as she was lucky to find a seat at the back.

"The battle of willow creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle?" Tanner questioned looking around the classroom.

"Ms. Bennett?" he picked his first victim. Tanner's sudden call for Bonnie made Pearl attentive.

"Um...a lot? I'm not sure. Like a whole lot", Bonnie answered, a little alarmed. Pearl put a hand over her mouth to stifle the laugh that was threatening to escape at Bonnie's response.

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett", Tanner said not so gently. "Mr. Donovan. Would you like to take this opportunity to overcome your embedded jock stereotype?" Tanner asked from Matt.

"It's ok, Mr. Tanner, I'm cool with it", Matt replied casually.

Pearl could no longer smother her laugh and a chuckle escaped from her lips but she covered it with a cough and Elena roughly elbowed her. Pearl mock glared at Elena. Pearl's fake coughing diverted Tanner's attention to the short stature girl.

"So Miss Norman why don't you enlighten us all with your knowledge of town's history", Tanner said to her.

"Oh… right", Pearl stammered. "Well what was the question", Pearl asked the teacher and bit her bottom smiling nervously. It didn't help at all when everyone laughed at her inattentiveness.

"Causalities in battle of Willow and Creek?" he repeated the question, sternly.

"Oh… the causalities… ", Pearl started, scratching the back of her neck. "I think I forgot to note it down in my notebook", she added sheepishly. It was clear from Tanner's expression that he wasn't satisfied with the answer but he just shook his head with an eye roll. Then his hawk eyes settled on the girl beside Pearl.

"Hmm. Elena? Surely you can tell us about one of the town's most significantly historical events?" he questioned.

"I'm sorry, I- I don't know", Elena admitted.

"I was willing to be lenient last year for obvious reasons, Elena. But the personal excuses ended with summer break", he snarled.

Pearl put her small hand over her friend's one for some comfort. Elena looked at her with sadness clouding her beautiful eyes. The look in Elena's eyes was enough to make Pearl lose her temper. She never liked when someone made their friends sad and didn't care for the consequences when she dealt with the culprit. But before she could say a thing Stefan came for Elena's rescue.

"There were 346 casualties, unless you're counting local civilians", Stefan answered.

"That's correct. Mister... ", Tanner trailed off.

"Salvatore", Stefan replied.

"Salvatore. Any relation to the original settlers here at mystic falls?"

"Distant", Stefan responded after a short pause.

"Well, very good", Tanner agreed. "Except, of course, there were no civilian casualties in this battle", he added afterwards.

"Actually, there were 27, sir", Stefan corrected. "Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss", he added with a dark look. "The founder's archives are, uh, stored in civil hall if you'd like to brush up on your facts Mr. Tanner".

"hmm", Tanner said, not arguing back.

* * *

Pearl arrived with Seth at the party when it was in full swing. She had to drag her brother away from the mirror and out of his room. Pearl was also a lazy one but Seth had broken all Pearl's record of laziness.

Seth saw Jeremy and went to him while Pearl found Elena and Bonnie engrossed in a conversation. Pearl in her dark jeans and white dress shirt approached her friends.

"People look up to me. I have to set an example", she heard Elena saying to Bonnie when she arrived.

"What you guys are talking about", Pearl pried.

"Stefan", Bonnie replied. "Just admit it, Elena", she continued.

"Oh, ok, so he's a little pretty", Elena said admitting with a lovely but shy smile.

"Oh really", Pearl teased in a high pitched girly voice, batting her long black eyelashes

"Shut up, Pearl", Elena said to her hitting her on the arm.

"He has that romance novel stare", Bonnie droned.

"Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul", Elena said and the three girls giggled.

"So where is the pretty boy", Pearl asked eyes darting in the surroundings searching for Mr. Tall, dark and handsome

"I don't know. You tell us Bonnie, you're the psychic one", Elena said to Bonnie.

"Right, I forgot. Ok, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate", Bonnie reacted.

"Wait, you need a crystal ball", Elena said looking around.

"Here have this", Pearl gave a beer bottle to Bonnie that she had picked from the ground.

"Ahh", Bonnie gasped as she her hand came in contact with Pearl's skin.

"What?" Pearl asked apprehensively.

"That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow and a big dog", Bonnie said with uncertainty.

"What?" Elena said this time.

"A crow and a dog. There was fog, a man and full moon. I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it. Yeah? Ok, I'm gonna get a refill", Bonnie said and left.

"What happened to her?" Elena quizzed looking at Pearl.

"I don't know…. I'll be back", Pearl said leaving Elena there alone. She walked a few steps but then turned around and saw Elena with the Salvatore.

"Bonnie wait", Pearl called after Bonnie following her.

Bonnie stopped and faced her, acknowledging she had heard her calls.

"What happened back there… what did you see when you touched me", Pearl inquired. The expression on Bonnie's face was troubling her.

"It was nothing, Pearl… I told you I drank too much", Bonnie pressed.

"You sure", Pearl asked unsurely.

"Yes I am… come on lets enjoy the party girl. Where is Elena", Bonnie asked.

"With Stefan", Pearl replied with a smirk.

As the two of them walked at little further Pearl saw two figures running in to the woods. The closer examination told her it was Jeremy and Seth. The former one seemed truly drunk.

"Oh man not here", Pearl said making a face.

"What", Bonnie asked following Pearl's line of sight.

"These two morons will never learn", Pearl growled and ran after Seth and Jeremy in to the woods.

"Where the hell you guys are going", Pearl said with a deep frown looking between Seth and Jeremy.

"Well we were just…", Seth started but Elena came to them with rage in her eyes.

"Jeremy where are you going", Elena asked her eyes fixed on her own brother.

"I don't want to hear it!", he replied carelessly and started walking.

"Yeah, well, too bad!", Elena said following him with Pearl and Seth right behind.

Jeremy stumbled and fell on something. Both girls screamed seeing Vicki Donavan, Matt's sister on the forest floor with her neck bleeding badly.

"Vicki? No! Oh, my god, it's Vicki!" Jeremy cried.

Elena reached him while Pearl and Seth were looking at Vicki horrified.

"Oh, my god!", Elena gasped.

The four of them returned to the party with Vicki in Jeremy's arms while Seth had put his jacket over the wound to stop the blood.

"Somebody help!" Elena shouted.

"Vicki? Vicki, what the hell?!" Matt panicked.

"What happened to her?" Tyler Lockwood, Vicki's current boyfriend asked coming forward.

"It's like something attacked her. Her neck is bleeding", Pearl informed him.

"Somebody, call an ambulance!", Matt yelled.

"Everybody back up, give her some space!" Tyler announced to the people crowded around the wounded girl.

* * *

"What's going on?" Zach asked Stefan as he reached home and sprinted upstairs.

"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me", Stefan replied gravely. Stefan entered the bedroom and saw that everything in the room was the same as before except a crow that was perched on the window sill.

Suddenly the room was filled with thick fog and when it vanished a guy appeared like he was popped up from the ground.

"Damon", Stefan announced seeing uninvited man.

"Hello, brother", Damon greeted him with a perfect smirk.

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan questioned his eyes fixed on the intruder.

"Wait till you see what I can do with the fog", Damon said wiggling his dark eyebrows moving forward.

"When'd you get here?" Stefan directed at his brother who was looking here and there.

"Well, I couldn't miss your first day at school", Damon responded wittily. "Your hair's different. I like it", he added with a smirk.

"It's been 15 years, Damon", Stefan said.

"Thank god. I couldn't take another day of the nineties. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you", he said making a face. "Remember, Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads".

"Why are you here?" Stefan asked plainly. He wanted answers but his brother didn't seem to be in a mood.

"I miss my little brother", Damon said simply.

"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do", Stefan pointed out.

"I've managed to keep myself busy", he smirked.

"You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you", Stefan mentioned Vicki's attack.

"Ah. That can be a problem", he started, "for you", he ended with a low voice.

"Why are you here now?" Stefan said bluntly.

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all in one little word... Elena", he countered.

* * *

Elena and Pearl were standing there watching the medics taking Vicki on a stretcher with Matt following his sister looking completely disheveled. The doors of the ambulance closed after Vicki was put inside and it left with its sirens blaring.

"Hey. We're gonna go mainline coffee, wait for news", Bonnie announced coming to them.

"I gotta take Jeremy home", Elena replied.

"You wanna come, Pearl", Bonnie questioned.

"I gotta go home… mum called", she responded.

"Guys, there's no way I'm psychic. I know that. But whatever I saw, or I think I saw, I have this feeling…", Bonnie trailed off.

"Bonnie, what?" Pearl and Elena said together.

"That it's just the beginning", the girl announced and left.

* * *

"She took my breath away. Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine. Is it working, Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?" Damon asked pacing around his brother.

"She's not Katherine. And if you have any misunderstanding about Pearl being Silvia, than you better clear you head up. She just looks like her other than that she isn't her", Stefan clarified for his brother.

"Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended", Damon said a dark look clouding his features just for a second as the memories of his past gathered up in his head. "Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?" he said changing the subject not letting his brother sense the slightest change in his demeanor.

"I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work", Stefan said rolling his eyes. He walked away.

"Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?" Damon said coming in Stefan's way.

"Stop it", Stefan warned his brother.

"Let's do it. Together. I saw a couple girls out there", the blue eyed brother said smacking his younger brother's head to rile him up. "Or just, let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for Elena and Pearl!" he said hitting him again.

"Stop it!" Stefan roared.

"Imagine what their blood tastes like!" he purred.

Stefan's eyes turned red and veins started protruding under them. His fangs came out and he transformed into his true self- a blood sucking fiend.

"I said stop!" Stefan shouted and pushed Damon and himself through the window. Both brothers fell through it but Stefan was the only one who was sprawled on the ground gasping from pain.

"I was impressed", Damon announced. "I give it a six. Missing style, but I was pleasantly surprised. Very good with the whole face- thing. It was good", he added making silly noises.

"You know, it's all fun and games, Damon, huh? But wherever you go, people die", Stefan said scrambling to his feet walking in Damon's direction.

"That's a given", Damon said nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.

"Not here. I won't allow it", Stefan challenged, showing that he had the power.

"I take that as an invitation", Damon replied smirking.

"Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" Stefan pleaded tired of running.

"I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word", Damon responded with a shrug.

"Just stay away from Elena and Pearl", Stefan said warningly.

"Where's your ring? Oh, yeah, sun's coming up in a couple of hours, and, poof, ashes to ashes", he said and saw panic on Stefan's face as he looked at his ring less finger. "Relax. It's right here", he said moving forward giving Stefan his ring.

As the younger Salvatore got distracted while putting a ring, Damon pulled him by his shirt and slammed him against the wall his own face changing into demonic one.

"You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people", he hissed. "I wouldn't try it again", Damon warned his green eyed brother. "I think we woke Zach up. Hmm. Sorry, Zach", he said walking towards the boarding house.

* * *

Pearl was spread on her bed with her eyes closed. The events of the day had wearied her. She and Seth had retuned after Jenna picked Elena and Jeremy. Pearl couldn't take out of her mind the image of Vicki wounded on the forest floor. She decided to distract herself by hearing some music as it always helped her to calm down. She searched for her earphones and realized she had left them in her car. She walked downstairs flipping on the living room's light. She went outdoors shivering slightly in cold night air, with car keys in her hands. When she unlocked the car she got a feeling that someone was watching her. She looked around and found that the street was empty and no one was there. An odd feeling of fear engulfed her. She hurriedly search for her earphones, took them, locking the car behind.

She made for the house door and just when she arrived on the porch she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw a man dressed in all black standing at a little distance away.

"Who are you", Pearl asked with fright.

He zipped to her with a speed of a wind, startling Pearl. She backed away, fear evident in her dark brown pools.

"Don't be afraid", he said looking intensely in her eyes. "Please invite me in", he said in a smooth voice.

"Come in", Pearl said with a robotic voice and opened the door for him.

The guy crossed the threshold and got inside. His crystal blue orbs darting around the place with admiration and love. Then his attention was turned to Pearl who was standing beside him quietly.

"You will not remember me or any of this", he said caressing a hand over her rosy cheeks, fondly.

"I will not remember any of this", Pearl repeated.

The guy vanished in thin air and suddenly Pearl came back to her senses. She looked confusedly at her surroundings and shook her head to clear it. Then she made for her room sleeping peacefully through the night not noticing the shadowy figure that was staring at the petite girl standing in the corner of her room.


	3. Chapter :3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Hey guys, here's a new chapter. Thanks a lot to all those who have alerted and favorite the story. Special thanks to belladu57 and grapejuice101 for their awesome reviews. I hope you guys will like this chapter too. Give me your opinion on how I can improve. Suggestions, ideas and constructive criticism is always welcomed. Tell me what you guys think of Pearl and if you have any other questions feel free to ask.**

**Vampire Diaries belongs to its rightful owners. Pearl, Seth and anything that wasn't in the show belongs to me.**

MEETING WITH THE CRYSTAL EYED SALVATORE

The morning started in the same way like it always did at Norman's residence. Pearl Norman treaded down the stairs and entered the kitchen where Angela Norman, her mother, was already seated on a table having a hot cup of black coffee. Pearl greeted her mother and sat on the table pouring herself a mug of black liquid too.

"When did you return home last night?" Pearl asked her mother taking a sip of her coffee.

"I came back at three in the morning", Angela replied rubbing her temples to ease the ache. She was terribly exhausted.

"How's Vicki, mum?" Pearl inquired from Angela.

"She is much better… will recover soon", Angela responded.

They heard the sound of thundering footsteps and soon Seth joined them on breakfast table.

"Has she told what attacked her?" Pearl asked curiously, continuing the interrogation.

"Well not really. She is still in shock saying vague things", Angela replied after sometime. Pearl got the feeling that her mother was hiding something from her but she put it at the back of her mind thinking she must have wrongly deduced.

"Well it seems like an animal attack", Seth piped up.

"Yeah but there aren't any animals in the woods… we have gone there many times, remember. Never came across with anything that could hurt a human like that", Pearl countered.

"Well may be its some new kind of beast who has taken shelter in the woods", Seth retorted.

"Possible… ", Pearl agreed, nodding.

"You guys need to be careful. Don't stay out late and never ever go into the woods", Angela ordered. "You both understand", she added looking at her children who were both busy in having breakfast.

"Yes mum", Pearl and Seth mumbled not meeting their mother's eyes, looking down at their plates.

"You guys understand", Angela repeated with raised voice, staring at them intensely trying to form a hard expression on her face.

"Yes mum", they both said clearly, meeting their mum's eyes with grins on their faces at their mother's futile attempts to form a frightening look on her face.

"Plus we are not suicidal, mum", Pearl added and Seth smirked back.

Pearl arrived at Mystic Falls high and saw Elena getting out of the car. Pearl trotted in her friend's direction with a smile on her face.

"Hey Lena", Pearl greeted the tall brunette linking arms with her.

Elena smiled back at the small framed girl and Pearl noticed something. Elena's smile wasn't an ordinary one and Pearl wanted to know the reason for her friend's intense happiness but she got a feeling that the new Salvatore had something to do with it.

"So what's going on… what's the reason for this hundred watt smile…?" Pearl asked with a knowing tone as the two made for their first class of the day.

"Well I am just happy today… ", Elena replied making Pearl more curious.

"Really Elena… ", she said shaking her head. "You know you can't hide anything from me, so just spit out or else I will adopt extreme measures", she faked a threatening tone. "You know I can make people talk".

"What? I am happy… that's it" Elena acted naïve.

"Well I get a feeling that a certain Salvatore has something to do with it", Pearl said with a smirk.

"Okay you got me there", Elena admitted guiltily. "Stefan came at my place last night", she told Pearl.

"And", Pearl urged her friend for more details.

"And we talked for hours", Elena said simply.

"Just talked", Pearl asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah", Elena responded.

"Caroline is going to be really disappointed in you", Pearl said acting upset.

Elena giggled and the two reached their history class.

Tanner was telling them about the comet that would pass over Mystic Falls the next day. Pearl had learned from her mother that everything has its significance but she had never understood the importance of history in their education. How could a long series of wars, never ending events and impossible to remember dates prove to be useful in future?

Today Pearl's focus of attention wasn't her notebook but her two classmates, one of whom was her best friend. She was watching the staring contest between Elena and Stefan with amusement dancing in her dark brown orbs. Pearl was lightly stomping on her friend's foot at regular intervals when Elena got too lost in those emerald green pools. In return she always received a gentle elbow in her ribs but it couldn't stop her from teasing her friend.

"Originally discovered nearly 5 centuries ago, it hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years. Now, the comet will be its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow's celebration", Tanner told them.

"Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Ms. Gilbert?" Tanner asked coming to their desk, finally noticing what Pearl had noticed since the starting of the period. Stefan and Elena dropped their gazes and Pearl chuckled but soon it was turned into a painful voice as Elena elbowed her again not so gently this time.

The bell rang indicating the end of lesson and Pearl accompanied Bonnie and Caroline instead of Elena who was joined by Stefan the moment class ended. Pearl didn't want to interrupt the two love birds anymore.

"I'm confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?" Caroline asked Bonnie. The three of them were walking the school hallways.

"Technically, Grams says I'm a witch", Bonnie started. "My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something. Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor so I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches? I don't think so", she further said, shaking her head.

"If you are a witch then where is your wand?" Pearl asked with a straight face.

"You are mixing Harry Potter with reality, Pearl", Bonnie responded laughing at her.

"Okay… so you are a witch without a wand in real world", Pearl grinned back.

"I am not a witch at all", Bonnie groaned.

"Okay Okay", Pearl smiled innocently putting her hands up in a defensive manner.

"Yeah, well, feel free to conjure up the name and number of that guy from last night", Caroline piped up sounding almost desperate.

"What guy", Pearl questioned with interest.

"Last night Caroline saw a total hottie in the coffee shop, unfortunately I didn't see him", Bonnie answered.

"And you didn't even ask for his number or name", Pearl said incredulously as this was very unlike Caroline.

"She didn't even talk to him", Bonnie said looking at Pearl.

"Really … then you must be someone else in Caroline's body because Caroline never missed such chances", she smirked at her blonde friend.

"Shut up, Pearl… I was drunk", Caroline said drooping her shoulders.

"And when has it ever stopped you", she said cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah you are right", Bonnie agreed with a laugh.

"Really guys", Caroline scowled at their teasing.

"You know what, I guarantee you in a day or two you will see your mysterious coffee shop guy again. Who could resist the Forbes girl charm", Pearl reassured with a lovely smile.

Pearl knew how hard Caroline tried to get Stefan but the guy was clearly interested in Elena and it must have left the blonde girl upset. May be that new guy could become a source of her joy.

"And that's why I love you a lot", the blonde girl reacted with a sweet smile putting an arm around her short framed friend's shoulder.

"Love you too", she replied with a cute chuckle.

"What about me", Bonnie said faking sadness.

"Love you too, Bon", Pearl and Caroline responded with loud voices and everyone in the hallway gazed weirdly in their direction but none of them cared as they were immersed in their own moment.

"I am gonna go, find Elena", Pearl said to the two girls before leaving.

Pearl reached outside the school searching for her tall best friend. But her search was interrupted when she found the two trouble-makers Seth and Jeremy walking towards Tyler. It seemed from the distance that Seth was trying to stop the Gilbert boy but he wasn't listening to him. She rushed in their direction but they had already arrived at Tyler's side.

"Hey, Tyler… Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering how Vicki's doing, since you guys are so close. Is she ok?" she heard the younger Gilbert asked the Lockwood boy.

"She's fine", Tyler replied simply. "Now get out of here".

"How bad is she? Do they know what attacked her? Is she going to make a full recovery? Was she happy to see you? What room number was she in?" Jeremy bombarded Tyler with so many questions at the same time, acting casual.

"Jer", Pearl and Seth said together, standing on either sides of Jeremy.

"I'm gonna kick your ass", Tyler snarled at Jeremy.

"Jeremy come on, don't create a scene here… ", Pearl said grabbing Jeremy's arm.

"Yeah come on, man", Seth said taking his sister's side.

"You guys should stay out of this", Jeremy said to the Norman siblings heatedly and focused on the black-haired tanned boy in front of him. "You keep saying that, but when are you actually going to do it? Huh? 'Cause I vote for right here and right now", Jeremy directed at Tyler.

He moved forward shoving Tyler by his other hand. Pearl tried to stop him but she was no match for the Gilbert boy who was even a few inches taller than his tall sister. Seth came in between Tyler and Jeremy and pushed his friend back.

"That's enough Jer", Seth said trying to put some sense in him.

"Walk away, Gilbert. It's your final warning. Listen to your friends", Tyler threatened from behind Seth.

"No, this is your final warning, dick", Jeremy hissed. "I'm sick of watching you play Vicki. If you hurt her one more time, I swear to God, I will kill you", he said trying to move pass Seth who was acting as a shield between him and his target.

"Come on Jer, just quit it", Pearl tried dragging him away and this time Jeremy didn't protest.

"Damn, that was like a death threat", Tyler said to the girls standing beside him. "Did you hear that?"

Pearl looked backwards on hearing the comment and shook her head looking at the Lockwood boy who just stared at her not uttering another word.

"So what was that", Pearl scolded Jeremy after she and Seth had hauled him to the other side of the school grounds away from Tyler.

Seth was standing quietly on one side allowing his sister to handle the situation. Jeremy didn't say anything back to Pearl.

"Jer", Pearl said with a hard tone.

"I don't want you to lecture me like Elena, Pearl", he said with irritation clearly shown on his features.

"Too bad because I don't care what you want and what you don't", Pearl shrugged.

"Pearl", Seth interrupted.

"Stay out of it, Seth", Pearl directed a glare at her brother. "Why don't you give me a minute alone with Jer", she said giving a silent look to Seth and the younger Norman left without arguing because the look given by his sister was enough to scare him off.

"Okay tell me what your problem is", she asked the Gilbert boy.

"Nothing", Jeremy said shortly.

"Really… because it seems to me you have some very huge problem with Tyler… going to him, picking up a fight with him… what are you trying to prove, Jer", she retorted.

Jeremy rolled his eyes walking away and Pearl grabbed his arm before he could move a few steps.

"Don't walk away from me, Jer. I am not Elena", she glowered at him.

"What do you want, Pearl?" he said, annoyed.

"You picked a fight with Tyler because of Vicki, didn't you?" Pearl questioned gently.

"Yeah I did, okay… so what? He was her boyfriend and he didn't even visit her at the hospital", Jeremy spat.

"Its between him and Vicki", Pearl told him, trying to make him understand.

"No, its not… She has chosen him but she can't see that he didn't give a damn about her", Jeremy cried. "I care for her and she doesn't even give me a chance".

"You want Vicki then fight for her but don't fight with her or her boyfriend, Jer. It will only make things worse for you", Pearl responded tenderly.

"What am I supposed to do then", he asked desperation clouding his bright eyes.

"Show her you care for her, and then leave the rest for her to decide. She will definitely see what a great guy you are and if she doesn't it's her loss, Jer", she said softly.

"So you are not going to give me a speech about how she isn't good enough for me", Jeremy said disbelievingly.

"I want to but I won't", Pearl admitted. "But I want you to be happy and so does Elena. You are like a brother to me just like Seth. Just don't spoil your life", Pearl pleaded and left him there calculating her words.

* * *

The school ended just like always and Pearl with her three other friends went to the Mystic Grill to grab a snack. They were discussing random stuff while sitting on a table, Pearl and Caroline on one side and Bonnie and Elena on the other. Bonnie started telling them another story of her grams.

"Well, I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity", Bonnie told them.

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens", Caroline said with an eye roll and Pearl giggled. "So then what", she pried gazing at Elena.

"So then nothing", Elena said simply.

"You and Stefan talked all night?" Caroline said not believing a word. "There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feely of any kind?" she asked.

"Nope. We didn't go there", Elena replied shrugging her shoulders.

"You tell us the truth, Pearl. Elena must have told you everything", the blonde beauty asked the black-haired petite girl.

"Elena is telling the truth, Care, nothing happened. They just talked", Pearl stated.

"Not even a handshake?" Caroline inquired. "I mean, we are her friends. Ok? She is supposed to share the smut".

"We just talked for hours", Elena maintained.

"OK", Caroline accepted. "What is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already!" she suggested. "Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!"

Pearl and Bonnie glanced at each other and Pearl's eyebrows raise to the point that they were about to meet her hairline.

"Is it? It can't be that easy", Pearl said doubtfully looking at Bonnie and Elena.

"My sweet innocent Pearl you are still naïve in these things", Caroline said patting Pearl's head.

"Yeah and you got a degree in sex-logy", Pearl said cynically at which Elena and Bonnie giggled while Caroline rolled her eyes.

Pearl's phone vibrated in her jeans pocket. She took it out reading the caller's i.d.

"Hey mum", she said after attending the call.

"Hey Pearl, where are you?" Angela asked.

"I am at the grill mum", she replied.

"Can you pick a package from Zach's for me", Angela requested.

"Okay mum, no problem", Pearl responded and hung up.

"So who's gonna drop me to Salvatore's place", Pearl announced looking expectantly at three girls.

Elena stood from her chair with a determined look on her pretty face.

"Let's go", Elena said twirling her car keys.

"Are you just dropping Pearl off or is there any other reason?" the olive skinned pretty girl asked the tall brunette.

"Caroline's right… It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying what I was going to do", Elena said with a confident tone and lovely smile.

"That's my girl", Pearl said proudly as she vacated her chair too.

They both reached the boarding house. It was Elena's first time to visit the huge building however Pearl had visited the place many times before. Both girls went to the front door and Elena extended her hand and knocked it. The door opened with a creak on its own. The two of them glanced at each other, nodded and then entered.

"Zach?" Pearl hollered in the very quite surroundings.

"Stefan? Stefan?" Elena called.

Elena looked at Pearl and the black-haired girl shrugged her shoulders as they continued to walk inside the large house.

"Zach", Pearl said more loudly this time hoping that he might hear her.

They looked backwards on hearing a caw. Both girls were startled when a crow flew over their heads and into the house. Pearl turned around and came face to face with a crystal eyed man. She quickly moved back creating little distance while he looked at her intensely.

"We. . .we're sorry for barging in", Elena apologized. "The door was", she looked backwards and found the door closed, "open", she added awkwardly.

"You must be Elena and Pearl", his eyes rested a little longer on the short girl. "I'm Damon, Stefan's brother", he introduced himself.

"He didn't tell us he had a brother", Elena said back.

"Well, Stefan's not one to brag", Damon said with a smirk. "Please, come. I'm sure Stefan will be along any second", he added gesturing them towards the living room.

"Is Zach home?" Pearl asked the black-haired Salvatore brother.

"No he is out. Why?" Damon asked his full attention focused on Pearl not sparing a glance at Elena.

"He has some package for my mum", Pearl replied meeting his gaze but quickly looked away as his intensifying gaze made her uncomfortable.

"Wow. This is your living room?" Elena stated and Pearl was thankful to her best friend for diverting Damon's attention from her.

"Living room, parlor, Sotheby's auction", Damon joked. "It's a little kitschy for my taste. I see why my brother's so smitten", he added looking at Elena. "It's about time. For a while there, I never thought he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him", he told Elena.

"The last one?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend?" Damon replied. Elena shook her head showing her ignorance in the matter. "Oh, you two haven't had the awkward exes conversation yet", he asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"Nope", Elena responded simply but Pearl knew something's definitely going on in her mind at this piece of information.

"Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now", Damon added casually. "Or maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound", he suggested. "We all know how those relationships end".

"Well I think you should leave all the details for Stefan to tell her, it's his place to tell her these things. It's between them", Pearl responded sensing her friend's down mood. "And not all such relations ended badly", Pearl said confidently trying to boast her friend's confidence, staring in crystal blue orbs no more sacred of their intensity.

"What can I say I'm a fatalist", he held her gaze. "Hello, Stefan", he said, his eyes never leaving the dark-brown ones.

Elena and Pearl turned around and saw the younger Salvatore standing there with a frown on his perfect face.

"Elena, Pearl… I didn't know you guys were coming over", his green eyes fixed on his elder brother, staring harshly at him.

"I am here for Zach, Elena gave me a ride", Pearl explained.

"I know. We should have called, we just...", Elena started.

"Oh, don't be silly. You guys are welcome any time", Damon smiled at them. "Aren't they, Stefan?" he directed at his brother. "You know, I should break out the family photo albums or some home movies. But. . .I have to warn you. He wasn't always such a looker", he finished, looking at Elena.

"Thank you for stopping by, Elena, Pearl", Stefan said not responding to what his brother had said. "I will tell Zach to call you when he will return", he said to Pearl. "It was nice seeing you guys".

Pearl was taken aback at Stefan's rudeness. Normally he was a nice guy, why all of a sudden he was behaving like this.

"Yeah, we should probably go", Elena nodded grabbing Pearl's arm. "It was nice to meet you, Damon", she said to the Damon.

"Great meeting you, too Elena", he said. "See you around, Pearl", he smirked at her.

Elena nudged her friend and gestured towards Damon asking her silently to say a few departing words.

"Oh right…", Pearl said finally understanding the look her tall friend was giving. "It was nice meeting you, Damon", she forcedly smiled at him. Damon looked amused at Pearl's expression and his lips twitched upwards.

They walked forward but Stefan was standing in their way blocking them still glaring at his brother.

"Stefan. . . .Stefan?" Elena tried getting his attention and he finally moved giving them space. Pearl and Elena both walked out of the door with Damon's eyes fixed on Pearl's retreating form. They reached outside the house and got inside Elena's car.

"Great gals. Whoo.. Elena, she's so nice, she got the spunk and Pearl… no words to describe her fire", Damon said licking his lips. "You, on the other hand, look pooped. Did you over-exert yourself today?" Damon questioned. "Let me guess. . hospital", he deduced.

"Someone had to clean up your mess", Stefan replied walking towards the fireplace.

"Well, were you successful? Did the powers of persuasion work on the Donavan girl?" Damon asked with raised eyebrows. "Remember, if you don't feed properly, none of those little tricks work right".

"How long were they here?" Stefan asked playing with his ring.

"Were you worried, Stefan? Scared we may be doomed to repeat the past?" Damon asked moving forward. "The past that you were trying to escape… I see the fascination you have with Pearl, its happening again isn't it", Damon said blazing eyes. "Isn't that why you play your little game, "I'm a high school human"?" he smirked at his brother.

"I'm not playing any game" Stefan replied.

"Of course you are", Damon said rolling his orbs. "We both know the closest you'll ever get to humanity is when you rip it open and feed on it", Damon purred, moving in his personal space.

"What kind of game are you playing, Damon?" Stefan asked.

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Damon responded and walked away leaving his brother behind with old memories bright as a day in his mind.

_FLASH BACK: 1864_

_A girl wearing a white long dress with frills around the sleeves with her dark black hairs cascading down her back was walking long aisles of books searching for something that might arouse her interest. Once or twice she brought out one of leather bounded heavy books, read its first page and then put it back in its place._

"_Still haven't found any that appeal to you, Livia?" the green eyed Salvatore asked from his place on a mahogany table._

"_There is nothing here, Stef. All the good ones, I have already read", she replied looking in his direction with disappointment._

"_I have a few books in my room. Would you like to take a look at them, Miss Norman", Stefan said with bright eyes and a heart-warming smile._

"_Of course, Mr. Salvatore", she smiled using his last name and curtsied._

_The younger Salvatore left the library while Silvia's eyes roamed in her surroundings. Her beautiful brown orbs stopped on a breath-taking landscape painting. She had seen it many times but still liked staring at it, marveling at its strokes and colors whenever she was in the Salvatore's library._

"_Miss Norman", someone said from behind her bringing her out of her trance._

_She turned around and saw the elder Salvatore standing there looking more breath-taking than the painting with his curly black hairs and bright crystal blue orbs._

"_Mr. Salvatore", she curtsied with a slight blush. There were a few moments of comfortable silence._

"_You like that painting", he asked motioning towards the painting. He walked a few steps towards her but not too close._

"_Yes. It's beautiful", Silvia replied glancing at the canvas._

"_Yes, it is", Damon responded with a light smile not at all talking about the work of art on the wall. His eyes were fixed on the stunning girl in front of him._

_Silvia faced him and her cheeks became heat up at the unwavering gaze of elder Salvatore on her. She shyly smiled at him showing her pearl whites._

"_You like reading books?" Damon asked Silvia._

"_I immensely enjoy reading books. Have read all of the books in our library and also all the interesting ones in this library", she spoke softly with a beautiful smile._

_Her contagious smile brought a smile on Damon's lips._

_END OF FLASH BACK_

* * *

Elena, Bonnie and Pearl were giving out pamphlets in Mystic Falls town square the next day.

"Tonight, night of the comet! Would you like a program?" Bonnie announced to the passersby.

"He didn't call, huh?" Bonnie asked turning to Elena. A man stooped beside Pearl and she handed him the pamphlet with her ears on the on going conversation.

"Or text", Elena added. "But I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We've never gotten to the texting part", she told them.

"That's an important milestone in any relationship", Bonnie nodded.

"Isn't it? The timing is wrong, anyway", Elena stated with a shrug.

"Why are you saying that", Pearl asked the tall brunette. "He is a good guy. And if you see a good guy, feel that infamous spark then just go for it", Pearl said wisely, patting Elena's back.

"Says who", Bonnie questioned with an inclined eyebrow.

"I do", Pearl gloated, adjusting her shirt's collar proudly.

"And how many good guys you have seen and felt that spark with", Bonnie grinned.

Pearl stopped walking and Elena and Bonnie followed her lead. She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Well no one", she replied with a smirk. "Elena is lucky she has Stefan", Pearl said looking in Elena's direction, giving her opinion about the younger Salvatore.

"I'm not ready, guys", Elena sighed.

"Who is?" Bonnie countered and Pearl nodded in agreement.

"At least I put myself out there", Elena responded.

"Is that what you're calling it?" Bonnie said back.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked confusedly.

"All I'm hearing is reasons why you can't", Bonnie finished.

The night approached and everyone was out in the town's square wishing to get a glimpse of the passing comet. Caroline joined Pearl, Elena and Bonnie.

"Hey, I got some candles", the pretty blonde said passing the candles to her three best friends. Bonnie left with Caroline while Pearl stayed at Elena's side. Soon both girls were joined by Matt Donovan.

"Hi", Elena and Pearl him greeted with lovely smiles.

"Hey", Matt replied lighting Elena's candle and then Pearl's.

"Thank you", Elena said.

"Thanks, Matt", Pearl winked at the blonde and he reacted with a grin.

"You're welcome", Matt responded and left.

Elena turned and ignited someone's candle finding that it was the green-eyed Salvatore.

"Thank you", he thanked her. "Hi… Hey Pearl", he added.

"Hi", Elena said putting a stray lock behind her ear, smiling up at him.

"How are you, Pearl", he asked the shorter girl.

"I am good. I have to find Bonnie, meet you guys later", Pearl lied through her teeth and left with her candle showing her the way in the darkness of night.

"Did she leave on purpose", Stefan asked facing the beautiful girl.

"Yeah I guess so", Elena laughed." She is the best friend in the world", she added.

"Yeah, there is no denying it", Stefan agreed with a strange tone.

Pearl was walking the town square searching for Bonnie or Caroline still holding a candle in one hand trying harder to prevent it from extinguishing forming a shield with her small palm. Suddenly she bumped into someone and when she lifted her candle up to see the person's face crystal blue orbs stared back at her with same passion.

"Hello, Pearl", Damon purred.

"Hey", Pearl replied and strode forward.

"So where is Stefan", Damon asked walking beside her to Pearl's annoyance. There was something about him that she couldn't put her finger on but disliked it.

"With Elena", she responded with an eye roll, increasing her pace.

"Oh... so did Stefan tell her about his ex-girlfriend", he questioned matching Pearl's pace with ease.

"What do you want?" Pearl came to a halt and faced him with a glare in her dark-brown orbs.

"Nothing", he said shrugging his shoulders staring back.

"Listen Damon", she pointed a finger at him, "leave them alone. If you have some issues handle them by yourself… don't ruin your brother's life", Pearl said heatedly and walked away leaving him behind alone in the darkness.

* * *

Everyone was back at the grill Elena, Pearl, Tyler and Bonnie, sitting around a table talking and laughing. Jeremy came to them looking worried with, Seth, Matt and Caroline right behind him.

"Hey, has anyone seen Vicki?" he asked from everyone anxiously.

"We can't find her", Seth added looking as much worried as his best friend.

"You're her stalker. You tell us", Tyler spat at Jeremy. Pearl rolled her eyes calling him moron under her breath but no one heard her.

"Has anyone seen her or not", Jeremy said eyeing Tyler.

"She probably found somebody else to party with", Tyler sneered. "Sorry, pill pusher, I guess you've been replaced", he added.

"Will you just shut your mouth", Seth glared at the dark-haired guy.

"Pill pusher", Pearl asked perplexed, looking from Jeremy to Seth.

"What's with the pill pusher?" Elena asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Ask him", Tyler gestured towards the younger Gilbert.

"You wanna do this right now?" Jeremy said aggravated.

"Are you dealing?" Elena asked from her brother standing up.

"She's never gonna go for you", Tyler said, seething.

"She already did", Jeremy growled back, "Over and over and over again".

"Yeah, right", Tyler said sarcastically.

"You slept with Vicki Donovan?" Caroline asked and Pearl stared at the blonde girl oddly at her statement. "I mean, Vicki Donovan slept with you?" Caroline amended.

"There's no way", Tyler said not believing a word that came out of Jeremy's mouth. He looked at Elena and then Matt.

"And I didn't even have to force her into it", Jeremy said bitterly.

"What the hell is he talking about, Ty?" the blue eyed blonde boy asked his friend, protective of his missing sister.

"Nothing, man, just ignore him", Tyler said. "He's a punk", he snarled at Jeremy.

"Hey guys you can deal with this stuff later. We should first search for Vicki", Pearl said ending the argument. Matt nodded approving what Pearl had said.

"We'll check the back", Bonnie said presenting her help and then left with Caroline.

"I'll check the square", Matt announced.

"I'll come with you", Jeremy said, about to leave.

"Oh, no, no, no. You are coming with me", Elena said preventing her brother to get away.

"Seth, you come with me", Pearl ordered her brother giving Elena some alone time with Jeremy to sort things out.

Pearl and Seth were searching the back of the town square but they didn't find any sign of Donovan girl.

"So Jer is dealing now?" Pearl asked Seth casually.

"No, he is not", Seth responded.

"Seth if you are hiding something from me then you shouldn't. Elena needs to know what her brother is getting himself into", Pearl said impatiently.

"I am telling the truth, Pearl. He isn't dealing", he insisted. "Yeah, he is having drugs, ditching his classes", he admitted, "but he isn't dealing".

"Ditching classes?" Pearl exclaimed.

"Well Tanner called Jenna so now Elena and Jenn both know about it... you don't need to get mad now", he told.

Pearl glared at Seth who just rolled his eyes.

"We have plenty of time to talk about this later. Now we should focus on finding Vicki and not on Jer's bad habits", he said to his sister and then both siblings continued their search.

After a few hours the search for Vicki Donovan ended as Stefan found her. He told everyone that Vicki was wandering around, high on drugs. In one corner of the Mystic grill Matt was tending his sisters wound with Stefan standing beside him.

On the other end Pearl was seated with Bonnie and Caroline having coffee as Caroline talked about the drug addicted girl.

"Ugh, it's just so much drama", she groaned shaking her head. "Ever notice how the druggies are the biggest attention whores?"

"Yeah", the olive-skinned beautiful girl said, agreeing with the pretty blonde. Pearl was quietly sipping her coffee.

"Excuse me", Stefan said coming at their table. "Hi", he greeted the girls.

"Hi", Bonnie responded.

"Um, have you guys seen Elena?" he asked looking hopefully at Pearl.

"I think she went home", Pearl replied putting her cup down on the table.

"Hey, I'm gonna give you Elena's cell number and her email", Bonnie said noting down Elena's number on a piece of paper. "She is big on texting, and you can tell her... 'I said so', she added with a beautiful smile.

"Thank you", Stefan sounded grateful.

As Bonnie handed Stefan the paper she accidentally touched his hand and gasped.

"You ok?" Stefan inquired, worry clear on his face

"What happened to you?" Bonnie said quickly. "That's so rude. I'm sorry. Excuse me", she apologized and swiftly stood up leaving.

"Yeah, she kind of wigs out. It's like her thing", Caroline said coolly while Pearl became a little suspicious but didn't blurt it out. She followed Bonnie outside the grill but didn't ask any questions and Bonnie dropped her off at Norman's residence after an exhausting day.


	4. Chapter : 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-**

**Hey guys. Here is another chapter especially for everyone out there who has so far read my story and liked it. I want to warn you guys in advance that this chapter is real long.**

**Thanks a lot to Bronzelove and Grapejuice101 for their awesome reviews.. love you guys. My especial thanks to those who have fav or alert the story. Keep reviewing****. Tell me what you guys think about Pearl and this story.**

**Ideas, suggestions and constructive criticism is always welcomed. Also tell me whether you guys want Pearl to end up with Damon or Klaus because i like them both and can't decide between them:-(**

"HISTORY TURNED IN TO HISTORY"

The first few rays of sun entered the room through the huge glass window whose curtains were drawn to the side revealing the beautiful view outside. As soon as they hit the small rounded face of a beautiful girl sleeping on bed, the eyelids of the beauty were lifted up revealing dark-brown eyes of Pearl Norman.

She picked the alarm clock from her bedside table and saw she still had half an hour in waking up and getting ready for school. She put the clock back on the table and closed her eyes trying to sleep but a few minutes of effort told her she couldn't sleep anymore. So she finally woke up and stood from her bed stretching herself. She tied her long hairs, which were draped all over her shoulders and back, haphazardly and thought about taking a long refreshing bath.

As Pearl made her way to bathroom her eyes fell on the phone that was placed on her jumbled up study table. She picked it up and saw five missed calls and a few messages from her best friend Elena Gilbert. She read the most recent message with a smile on her lips.

'_Pick your phone I have something very special to tell you'_

Pearl dialed Elena's number tapping her foot while leaning against the study table. Elena picked it up after a few rings.

"Hey Girl", Pearl greeted her friend, still the same smile etched on her face.

"Hey… where were you last night", Elena asked.

"Well I was so tired I sleep like dead… didn't even bother to change clothes", she replied and heard Elena's musical laugh on the other side.

"So what happened?" Pearl questioned rolling a tuft of hairs around her ring finger which was empty as she wasn't fond of Jewelry.

"Well… ", Elena trailed off.

"Come on girl don't test my patience", Pearl said eager to know.

"Okay so Stefan and I are kinda together… we kissed", Elena responded and Pearl could tell she was saying it with a nervous smile.

"Really… that's my girl", Pearl exclaimed in her phone and Elena giggled.

Pearl's loud alarm interrupted their conversation and she rushed towards it shutting it off.

"What was that", Elena said from the other end.

"My nosy alarm clock", Pearl replied sitting on her comfy bed glancing at the time.

"Hey I still have to get ready so later", Pearl said. "And I want all the details", she added.

"Okay, bye", Elena chuckled.

Pearl quickly made for the bathroom all thought of the nice long bath gone from her mind as she had only a few minutes, so she satisfied herself with a quick shower. She dressed into a white sleeveless tank top, a blue and red check shirt with hood and dark blue baggy jeans. She wore her black vans after tying her long black locks in a ponytail and quickly put her things in her backpack in a disorganized way.

When Pearl entered the kitchen Angela and Seth were already there halfway through their breakfast.

"Morning everyone", she said occupying her seat beside Seth.

"You are late today", Angela said to her daughter passing her a plate of pancakes.

"I woke up early even before the alarm but then called Elena... plus I am also feeling a bit lazy today", Pearl replied and yawned. She put a hand over her mouth to cover it.

"Yeah we can see that", Seth responded seeing his sister's watery eyes.

"I have something for you guys", their mother announced and pulled out two packages from her stylish purse.

"What are these, mum", Pearl asked intriguingly, looking at the small wrapped packages.

"Open it and see for yourself", Angela said passing the smaller one to Pearl while a bigger one to Seth.

Pearl tore the wrapping paper finding a box. She opened it and found a delicate beautiful chain with a round white pendant. The necklace was simple but still very beautiful. Her eyes darted to the bracelet silver wrist watch Seth had just taken out of a transparent box.

"Wow", he seemed mesmerized by it for a second. "It's awesome", he said with a goofy smile directed towards his mother.

"Thanks mum", Pearl said and was about to put the necklace back into the box when Seth ripped it from her hands.

"Let me see it… it isn't as awesome as my wrist watch", he said staring at the pendant.

"Give it back, Seth or I am gonna whack you with a spoon", Pearl warned Seth who was fiddling with her necklace.

"Guys, no early morning fights, remember", Angela reminded her children not wanting a third world war to start on her breakfast table. "Seth give Pearl her chain back", she ordered her only son while Pearl glared in his direction.

"Have it", Seth passed the chain and Pearl grabbed it putting it back in its box.

"I gave you these to wear", Angela pointed out.

"It's not our birthday or something, mum. So why you gave these presents to us", Seth asked curiously wearing his wrist watch.

"I went to the market and these things caught my attention so I bought them for you", Angela told. "Now wear it", she said to Pearl who tied the chain around her neck and put the pendant inside her shirt.

* * *

Pearl was walking the school grounds. She found Bonnie and Elena making their way to the school building and ran to them.

"Hey… what's up, girls", Pearl interrupted them. She smirked knowingly in Elena's direction but her best friend seemed in low spirits which wasn't what Pearl had expected after their conversation.

"Nothing it's just Bonnie is having second thoughts about Stefan", Elena replied looking down at Pearl.

"Second thoughts..?" Pearl creased her eyebrows staring at Bonnie.

"I'm not saying don't date the guy", Bonnie began. "I'm just saying take it slow", she added.

"Really, Bon… what about that great speech you gave to Elena that she isn't putting herself out there", Pearl prompted with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, you were the one who said to go for it in the first place", Elena responded.

"Elena is right. I also made that inspirational 'go for it' speech inspired by your words and now you are backing away", Pearl accused the olive-skinned girl mocking an offended expression on her face.

"I am not backing away... I'm just saying take it slow", Bonnie said trying her hardest to act normal but Pearl and Elena could easily make out the troubled expression on her face.

"Why the about-face...?" Elena asked Bonnie, staring at her.

"It's not an about-face", Bonnie shrugged. "You're single for the first time in your entire high school career. It's the perfect time to play the field", she said looking at the tall brunette.

"Oh, because I'm so that girl", Elena laughed sarcastically.

"Is it about yesterday?" Pearl asked suspiciously holding Bonnie's gaze.

"What happened yesterday?" Elena inquired looking between Pearl and Bonnie.

"She was giving Stefan your number and then she gasped like she received an electric shock, then she left mumbling things", Pearl recounted the event.

"It's stupid", Bonnie shook her head walking ahead of them.

"Bonnie... ", Elena and Pearl called out striding towards the pretty girl.

"What?" Bonnie replied looking at them both.

"Spit it out", Elena said looking deep in her brown eyes.

"I accidentally touched Stefan", Bonnie started, "And I got a really bad feeling".

"What kind of bad...? 'There is something fishy about him' kind of bad or 'I am imagining things' kind of bad" Pearl said innocently and both girls stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Pearl asked confusedly, shaking her shoulders.

"It was bad bad!" Bonnie whispered emphasizing the word 'bad'.

"Bad Bad?" Pearl whispered back, wiggling her eyebrows with a perplexed look on her cute face.

"Is this the whole witch mojo thing again?" Elena questioned in a normal voice.

"You know what? I'm just concerned", Bonnie said hastily. "This is me expressing concern about my best friend's new boyfriend".

"And I love you for it, I do", Elena said grabbing Bonnie's shoulders gently staring in her eyes. "But I feel good. It's been a hard year, and I'm starting to kind of feel like things are getting back to normal again", she told them. "And you know what? Stefan is a big part of that", she finished gazing at her two friends.

The three girls occupied a spot on one of the benches waiting for the class to start. The chapter about Elena's dating life was closed and they were discussing about random stuff. They were in the middle of their conversation when none other than the Mr. Perfect Stefan Salvatore joined them.

"Good morning, Elena. Good morning, Bonnie. Good morning, Pearl", the green eyed Salvatore greeted them one by one, his lips shaped into a smile showing his perfect teeth.

"Morning", Pearl replied cheerfully. She liked the younger Salvatore a lot. But as much as she liked him she disliked his cocky and arrogant elder brother. Elena's eyes brightened at the sight of Stefan and she smiled a lovely smile.

"Hey, um, I gotta find Caroline", Bonnie said standing up from her place. "She's not answering her phone. So I'll see you guys later", she said not meeting either Elena's or Pearl's eyes and walked off with her head held low.

"Bonnie, wait... ", Elena yelled after her, worriedly.

"You guys talk… I'll see her", Pearl said. "Bye Stef", Pearl said to him with a smile and left, leaving Stefan staring at her back with an unfathomable look on his face and a pool of emotions in his forest green eyes.

'Words- they hold a special place in our lives. Our words can work miracles. They can make a person happy when they are depressed. Our words of affection help in earning someone's friendship, words of hatred give us enemies, kind words show the love ones we care and simple words are enough to brighten someone's day'.

In the similar way Pearl words, unknown to her, had aroused various feelings; a lot of forgotten memories became alive in Stefan Salvatore's mind that he had buried hundreds of years ago.

"That was rude", Pearl told Bonnie referring to her behavior with Stefan, as the two girls were walking the school hallways towards their class.

Bonnie didn't utter a word nor looked in Pearl's direction.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Pearl said exasperated, shaking her head at her friend's quietness.

"What do you want me to say, Pearl", Bonnie snapped. But as soon as she glanced at Pearl's face, she felt guilty.

"I am sorry, it's just… ", Bonnie trailed off then darted her eyes forward.

"You are taking the psychic thing seriously, aren't you", Pearl questioned gently, stopping in her tracks and Bonnie did the same.

"It's not about that… I just don't want Elena to get hurt", Bonnie said concerned.

"Stefan is a great guy, Bonnie", Pearl assured her olive-skinned friend with a slight smile.

At that moment the school bell echoed in the hallways and without another word Bonnie started walking and Pearl followed her not discussing the topic again.

They reached the history class and Pearl saw Elena already on their usual seat. She made her way towards the seat and placed her backpack down while Bonnie sat behind. Pearl brought out her notebook and started doodling.

"So how did it go", Elena asked from Pearl who was absorbed in her work.

"Disastrous", Pearl responded, taking her eyes off the book.

"Okay here is the thing, tonight dinner at my place. You, Bonnie, me and Stefan", Elena presented her idea to Pearl with hope in her eyes.

"Well I don't mind… can't say the same about Bonnie", Pearl replied scratching her ear, referring to the girl sat behind her.

"Well leave it to me", Elena said with a lovely smile and Pearl nodded.

While Elena and Pearl were talking, Tanner was asking questions checking how much students had learned in his class.

"World war II ended in... Anyone got anything?" he looked around the class. "Miss Juan?"

"1945", the girl replied.

Elena turned a little in her seat leaning towards Stefan who was seated in the back row opposite to her.

"Psst. FYI... Our team sucks. They could use you", she told him, urging him to join the team.

"Can't", Stefan answered shortly in a low voice. "I am a loner", he added afterwards.

"Miss Gilbert?" Tanner stared in Elena's direction, directing his question at her.

"Hmm?" Elena asked sitting straight in an instant.

"Pearl Harbor?" Tanner repeated the question for Elena who clearly didn't know the answer.

"December 7, 1941", Stefan answered instead of Elena and Pearl grinned at her friend as Elena's knight in shining armor came for her rescue.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert", Tanner sneered putting stress on 'Miss Gilbert". Various chuckles echoed around the class at that comment.

"Anytime", Stefan nodded with a smile, unfazed. Pearl looked at him impressed by his confidence and his lips turned upwards in return.

"Very well", Tanner said nodding his head. "The fall of the Berlin wall", he further asked with a challenging tone.

"1989", Stefan replied coolly. "I'm good with dates, sir", he told Tanner with an almost smug tone.

"Are you?" Tanner said back. "How good? Keep it to the year", he challenged openly.

Pearl shut her notebook putting both her arms on the desk keenly watching the competition between her teacher and Stefan with her eyes moving back and forth between them.

"Civil Rights Act", Tanner asked.

"1964", he answered.

"John F. Kennedy assassination?"

"1963".

"Martin Luther King?"

"'68".

"Lincoln?"

"1865".

"Roe vs. Wade?"

"1973".

"Brown vs. Board?"

"1954".

The battle of Gettysburg?"

"1863".

"Korean war?"

"1950 to 1953".

"Ha!" Tanner exclaimed thinking that he had won. "It ended in '52", he corrected Stefan.

"Uh, actually, sir, it was '53", Stefan said firmly.

"Look it up, somebody", Tanner announced for the whole class, "Quickly".

"It was 1953", one of the students confirmed and everybody in the class clapped for Stefan including Pearl who was clapping the loudest at Tanner's defeat. She was beyond happy seeing Tanner having a taste of his own medicine.

* * *

When Pearl entered the Norman's residence after a long school day, she saw her mother was already home resting on the living room's couch watching television.

"You are back early", Pearl pointed out, putting her backpack on the table and sitting next to her mom.

"I have a night shift today", Angela replied. "I'll leave at seven".

"Where is Seth?" Pearl questioned, while picking a bowl of chips from the table and eating a few.

"In his room", Angela answered.

"Well enjoy your free time", Pearl told her mother placing the bowl back to its place. "Elena invited Bonnie and me for dinner so I should better complete my school work before going", she further said standing up and hoisting her bag too.

"Okay", Angela nodded. "But don't stay out too long", she added.

"Yes, mum", Pearl responded with a smile, then rushed upstairs to her bedroom.

Pearl was laid on her bed with her books and notes cluttered around her. She had her physics book in her hands and was going through it making annoyed faces now and then. She put it on her chest with a huff, folding her arms over it, getting dog-tired.

A sudden glint came to her eyes and she quickly sat up, her book falling with a thud in the process, and picked her phone from the bedside table. She dialed Elena's number.

"Hey", she said when Elena attended the call.

"Hey, Pearl", her friend responded passively.

"Where are you?" she asked getting up from the bed and moving towards the window where she saw her stalker crow. She shut the window but the bird was still there.

"At home", Elena replied shortly.

"Why?" she spoke in to the phone. "Why aren't you at your cheerleading practice?"

"I don't know", Elena said vaguely.

"Listen I am picking you up in five… be ready", Pearl said back and disconnected the call before Elena could argue.

After informing her mother about going outside, Pearl made for Elena's home. The tall brunette reluctantly accompanied her to the cheerleading practice. When they arrived on the field they saw cheerleaders were warming up and Bonnie was among them. The sun was at its brightest forming sweat beads on Pearl's skin.

"Oh, my God! You're here!" Bonnie exclaimed with happiness seeing Elena.

"Yeah she can't hide under her covers forever", Pearl smirked at the tall brunette, wiping a few beads with her shirt's sleeve.

"Yep, you are right. I can't be sad girl forever", Elena beamed, agreeing with Pearl. "The only way to get things back to the way they were, are to do things that were". "Oh, and you're coming to dinner tonight", she added as an after thought.

"I am?" Bonnie asked with raised eyebrows. Elena and Pearl joined Bonnie on the ground and Elena did a handstand.

"Mm-hmm", Elena nodded. "You, Pearl, me and Stefan", she told, looking at her olive-skinned friend.

"You can't judge someone without knowing them, Bon. You have to give him a chance", Pearl uttered, taking out her phone.

"Tonight's no good", Bonnie answered. "Have you seen Caroline? I texted her like a hundred times", she said looking in her surroundings and not meeting Elena's gaze.

"She is changing the subject", Pearl mumbled to Elena with a grin.

"Don't change the subject, Bonnie Bennett!" Elena warned her. "You're going to be there", she concluded.

"Fine, I'll go", Bonnie agreed making a face.

"Good", Elena and Pearl said together grinning from ear to ear.

"Seriously, where is Caroline?" Bonnie questioned again, apprehensively

"I don't know", Elena replied, clueless. "It's not like her".

"I have texted her too… no reply" Pearl shrugged.

A Chevrolet Camaro skidded to a halt with loud music blaring from its speakers. Pearl saw Caroline in that car with none other than Damon Salvatore. They kissed.

"Oh, my God. That must be the mystery guy from the grill", Bonnie said, her eyes fixed on the couple.

"That's not a mystery guy. That's Damon Salvatore", Elena told Bonnie, also staring.

"I don't like him", Pearl piped up, looking dishearten that the guy she thought could be a source of joy for her pretty friend turned out to be the one that she disliked the most. There was something about him that screamed dangerous. Like anyone who would get involved with him would suffer- like he was a fire ready to burn anything around him.

Both girls glanced at her and she shrugged in response.

"Salvatore, as in Stefan?" Bonnie questioned, her eyes on the blonde who walking towards them. Pearl and Elena nodded.

"I got the other brother. Hope you don't mind", Caroline said with a pompous tone taunting Elena for sure.

Pearl looked at the beauty's diver and Damon winked at her with that infamous smirk on his face. Pearl rolled her eyes and looked at her friends.

"Sorry I'm late, girls. I, uh, was busy", Caroline said gathering all the girls.

"All right, let's start with the double pike herkey hurdler, what do you say? And 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8", Caroline chanted as everyone followed her movements.

Pearl was sitting on the grass playing angry birds on her phone. She looked upwards at the practicing girls and saw that Elena was completely out of beat and didn't know the moves.

"Elena, sweetie", Caroline called out. "Why don't you just observe today?"

Elena nodded and joined Pearl on the ground. Pearl looked at Elena and saw her friend looking positively down.

"You wanna play?" Pearl asked Elena extending her phone to her but the brunette shook her head and looked at the girls quietly.

Pearl looked at the other side of the field where the football trails were going on and saw Stefan in his football gear making his way to Tanner. A playful smile came to Pearl's lips.

"Come on", she said to Elena standing up and offering her hand to the tall girl.

"Why?" Elena asked confused.

"Lets watch Stefan-Handsome-Salvatore playing football", she replied with a grin. "Now come on", she said impatiently.

The two girls made their way to the football field and saw younger Salvatore doing a great job on the field. Pearl nudged Elena and she smiled in return.

* * *

Stefan strutted in his bedroom after the tryouts, happy on attaining a place on the team. He saw his elder brother sitting on a chair with his feet on the table invading Stefan's privacy.

"How were tryouts?" Damon asked him looking through his diary. "Did you make the team?" he taunted. "Very Emerson, the way you reveal your soul with so many... ", he started but Stefan yanked the diary from his hands. "Adjectives", Damon finished with a chuckle.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked him with a business like tone, putting the diary back at its place.

Damon didn't answer right away and there was a few minutes silence between the two brothers.

"I've come to apologize", Damon said afterwards, straightening in his chair. "I've been doing some thinking, some soul searching", he said solemnly. "and... I want us to start over. We need to put the past behind us". "You're my little brother", he continued standing up and facing his brother, "and if you want to live a normal, happy human life, then I want that for you. Maybe I can do it, too. That I can learn to be a non-living living person. Maybe there's hope for both of us", Damon said seriously and for a moment Stefan even believed his brother but then Damon could no longer keep a straight face and laughed. He walked away with a smirk on his face.

"You know, it doesn't have to be this way, Damon", Stefan told his brother.

"Of course it doesn't", Damon said simply. "I saw Pearl today, BTW. That means 'by the way'. She was at cheerleading practice looking so delicious with sun rays hitting her delicate frame, it's difficult to keep my hands to myself", he said to aggravate his brother. "Just... simmer down, I didn't even go near her", he added seeing his brother's fury. "I've got my own cheerleader now", he informed. "Ooh, that reminds me... I gotta run. I have a date. Sweaty palms. Wish me luck", Damon said faking nervousness and left.

* * *

In Gilbert's kitchen Elena and Bonnie were making arrangements for dinner while Pearl was perched on the counter with a bowl of chips in her hands. Bonnie was trying to make them believe that she had supernatural powers.

"You explain it", Bonnie said to Elena and Pearl while taking out plates. "Last night, I'm watching Nine-o, a commercial breaks come on and I'm like, I bet it's that phone commercial. And sure enough, it's that guy and the girl with the bench, he flies to Paris and he flies back. They take a picture", Bonnie told them.

"Oh, come on. That commercial's on a constant loop", Elena said back, placing salad bowls on the counter.

"Yeah it annoys me to no ends", Pearl responded making a face.

"Fine. Well, how about this? Today I'm obsessed with numbers. three numbers. I keep seeing eight, fourteen, and twenty-two", Bonnie informed them. "How weird is that?" she asked looking hopefully at her friends.

"Maybe we should play the lottery", Elena suggested with a laugh.

"But Bonnie will be the one buying the tickets. What if we lose? I don't want my money to go wasted. I trust my friends with my heart but not with my money", Pearl joked and the olive-skinned girl passed a sour look in her direction.

"Have you talked to your Grams?" Elena asked rescuing Pearl from Bonnie's stink eye.

"She's just gonna say it's because I'm a witch", Bonnie stated. "I don't want to be a witch. Do you want to be a witch?" she asked the two girls.

"I don't want to be a witch", Elena replied. What about you, Pearl?" she directed at her while putting the store-bought food in the bowls.

"As long as I don't have to face Voldemort I am fine with it", she said simply, getting down from the counter.

Pearl's statement was followed by a laugh from the two girls.

"Are you trying to impress Stefan with the store food", Pearl questioned with a grin, looking at the bowls. "I don't think this will work", she warned her.

"Yeah… putting it in a nice bowl isn't fooling anybody", Bonnie told the tall brunette, smirking.

Elena just smiled at their words but didn't verbally respond to their teasing.

"Ok, serving spoons. Where are the serving spoons?" Elena asked to no one in particular, searching different places. Pearl joined her in her search.

"Middle drawer on your left", Bonnie pointed out. Elena opened the said drawer and found the serving spoons there.

"Wow. That was a nice guess", Pearl laughed.

"Ok, so you've been in this kitchen like a thousand times", Elena said looking at Bonnie.

"Yeah, that's it", Bonnie agreed casually. They heard the sound of door bell.

"Ok, he's here", Elena informed giddily. "Don't be nervous. Just be your normal loving self", she told them patting both girls on the shoulder and left for the door.

"Birthday candles", Bonnie mumbled and Pearl watched her intently.

Bonnie opened one of the drawers revealing candles. She looked at Pearl with a freaked out look.

"Just like Elena said, you have been in this place thousand times", Pearl shrugged.

The clanking of spoons could be heard on the dinning table where Elena, Bonnie, Pearl and Stefan were eating together. Bonnie was fully focused on her food not even glancing up from her plate and Pearl was finding the situation kind of funny.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" Elena started, disrupting the silence

"Well, he let me on the team so I must have done something right", Stefan replied with a smile especially for Elena and she nodded.

Elena tried gaining Pearl's attention by elbowing her as she was sitting beside her. Pearl darted her eyes in Elena's direction and the tall brunette asked her silently to say something.

"Well Stefan you were awesome on the field today. I and Elena were there. She was staring at you the whole time", Pearl smirked and in return received an evil glare from Elena. Stefan laughed at their interaction.

"Bonnie, why don't you tell Stefan about your family?" Elena asked Bonnie, changing the subject.

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad", Bonnie reacted offhandedly.

"No, about the witches", Elena said to her. "Bonnie's family has a lineage of witches", Elena told Stefan.

"Yeah she is the real life Sabrina… its cool", Pearl piped up, staring at the Bennett girl sitting opposite to her.

"Cool isn't the word I'd use", Bonnie responded curtly, looking at Pearl with a frown on her pretty face. Pearl stomped on Bonnie's foot at her rudeness and Bonnie stomped back with equal force.

"Well, it's certainly interesting", Stefan said looking at Bonnie, unaware of the feet fighting going on under the table. "I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s", he said with a smile trying to get a place in Bonnie's good graces.

"My family came by way of Salem", Bonnie informed him.

"Really? Salem witches?" Stefan questioned while Pearl and Elena share happy smiles as their friend talk to Stefan.

"Yeah", Bonnie replied shrugging her shoulders.

"I would say that's pretty cool", Stefan said looking at the other two girls.

"Really? Why?" Bonnie asked her full concentration on Stefan.

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity", he explained.

"Yeah, they are", Bonnie agreed with a smile. Pearl gave a victory smile to Elena at the accomplishment of the mission. The four of them were interrupted by the sound of the door bell.

"I wonder who that could be", Elena said standing up and making her way to the front door. Pearl followed her in the hope that Bonnie and Stefan would continue their conversation.

"Mission accomplished", Pearl said to Elena with a glowing smile.

"Yeah it's good they are talking now", Elena said as she opened the door with Pearl right behind her. There on the threshold was standing Caroline with Damon Salvatore. Pearl's smile turned into a frown seeing the blue-eyed Salvatore.

"Surprise!" Caroline exclaimed with joy. "Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert", she said gesturing at the box in her hands.

"Oh", Elena said taken aback at their sudden arrival. She turned her head looking backwards at Pearl and saw the scowl on her face.

"Hope you don't mind", Damon said gaining Elena's attention. Then his crystal-blue orbs stopped on the short girl standing at the other side of the door and he smirked.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked bluntly from his brother, coming to the door.

"Waiting for Elena to invite me in", Damon said with a secret meaning, looking at Elena expectantly.

"Oh, yeah, you can... ", Elena started.

"No, no, no. He can't, uh... ", Stefan cut Elena off. "He can't stay. Can you, Damon?" he added, passing a warning look in his brother's direction.

"Get in here", Caroline invited Damon in after getting inside.

"We're just...", Stefan trailed off.

"Finishing up", Pearl finished his sentence with a forced smile.

"It's fine. Just come on in", Elena invited him inside the house. Damon sneered at his brother and walked inside the Gilbert's home.

"You have a beautiful home, Elena", he complimented looking at her.

"Thank you", Elena said grabbing Pearl's arm to drag her as she seemed unwilling to join them.

"I cannot believe that Mr. Tanner let you on the team", Caroline gushed, sitting beside Damon on the couch. "Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it", she added with a smile.

"That's what I always tell him", Damon told. "You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it", he added using his hands to emphasize his point.

Pearl rolled her eyes at what he said. She was sitting between Elena and Bonnie looking fairly annoyed because of the intense blue eyes that she could feel staring at her from time to time. She even glared at him once but he didn't get a hint.

"Yeah, Elena wasn't so lucky today", Caroline spoke up. "It's only because you missed summer camp. God, I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines", the blonde added looking at Elena and a sad look was formed on brunette's face.

"I'll work with her", Bonnie presented her help. "She'll get it", she said confidently.

"I guess we can put her in the back", Caroline came up with a solution. Pearl glared again but this time it was directed at the blonde who always said things without thinking, even though she had a golden heart.

"You know, you don't seem like the cheerleader type, Elena", Damon gave his opinion.

"Oh, it's just 'cause her parents died", Caroline told him. "Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a blah phase. She used to be way more fun", she said in an uncaring manner and this time both Pearl and Bonnie passed her warning looks. "And I say that with complete sensitivity", she added realizing her mistake.

"I'm sorry, Elena", Damon piped up. "I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, Stefan and I have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die", he informed staring at his brother. No one in the room knew how true that statement was.

"We don't need to get into that right now, Damon", Stefan said hastily.

"Oh, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry", Damon said. "The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up", he stared at his little brother.

"You mean them", Stefan amended. This time Damon was the one who got a dark look on his face.

Pearl finally escaped from those hypnotizing eyes as she took shelter in Gilbert's kitchen after gathering the glasses and plates with Elena. She insisted that the tall brunette should spend sometime with Stefan and pushed her out of the kitchen doing the dishes alone. She was never good at house chores but right now she would do anything to avoid a certain Salvatore.

Pearl was standing near the kitchen sink putting all her concentration on the task at hand when a sudden voice startled her.

"One more", Damon said coming in to the kitchen with a glass in his hand. Pearl extended her hand to grab the glass but as she was still in shock by the sudden intrusion, she missed it. She quickly closed her eyes waiting for the shattering noise but it never came. When she opened those dark-brown pools, she saw the elder Salvatore holding the glass in one piece.

"Oh, thank you", Pearl said gratefully, taking the glass from his hands and then busied herself in work, hoping for Damon to leave her alone. But you couldn't have everything you hoped for.

Damon walked a few steps, stopping beside her. He picked up a mop from the counter and started drying the dishes, providing her a helping hand which she didn't want at all.

"I like Elena. She knows how to laugh", Damon said randomly. "And she makes Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time", he further said his eyes fixed on the girl immersed in work.

"Earlier, what did Stefan mean by them?" Pearl asked curiously cleaning the dishes. She wanted to know if there was some other girl in the picture involved with Stefan. Pearl liked the guy and trust him but a little poking around wouldn't hurt anyone.

There was a stagnant pause after that question and Pearl looked up to see whether the Salvatore was still with her, and he was there physically, but his mind was somewhere else.

"Katherine and Silvia", he informed her after sometime, with a slight smile as the second name rolled out of his tongue.

"Who was Silvia? Part of the love triangle?" Pearl asked stopping her work for an instant and forgetting how much she disliked the guy standing with her. She looked at him waiting for his reply.

"No, no… she was his best friend", Damon replied.

"So what happened to them? Did Katherine break up with Stefan?" she asked.

"No… They both died in a fire. Tragic fire", he mournfully responded and Pearl could easily make out the pain in his eyes.

"Recently?" she pried. She was feeling a little comfortable in Damon's presence now. May be she should follow her own advice of never judging the people without knowing them- she thought.

"It seems like it was yesterday", Damon responded with a gloomy look.

"What were they like?" she questioned, apparently interested.

"Katherine was beautiful but very selfish and complicated. She never cared for anyone. And Silvia… there were no words to describe her beauty", he said with a dreamy look in his eyes. "She was so naïve, simple, so kind. A perfect girl", he finished but Pearl got the feeling that if the elder Salvatore wanted he could go on talking about that Silvia girl for hours.

"So you dated Stefan's best friend", Pearl inferred with a knowing smile.

"Nicely deduced", Damon said clearly impressed.

"I am sorry", Pearl said after sometime. Damon gave her a confused look not understanding why she was apologizing all of a sudden. "For Silvia… you lost her too", she explained.

Damon was utterly taken aback at her words. He gazed in to those beautiful dark-brown orbs and as his eyes met hers he got lost in them. His eyes fell on her baby pink lips for a second but he came out of his daze as Elena and Bonnie came at the kitchen's door asking if they need any help. Pearl nodded while Damon left.

In the living room Stefan was trying to persuade Caroline to take her scarf off but the blonde girl gave him confused replies on why she couldn't take it off.

"What are you two kids talking about?" Damon asked walking in to the living room and occupied a place at the arm of Caroline's chair.

"I was just commenting on her scarf", Stefan replied gesturing towards Caroline's beautiful scarf, giving his brother a look.

"Hmm. Hey, you know", Damon said looking down at the blonde trying to act affectionate, "the girls are finishing up the dishes. Why don't you go see if you can help?" he asked wanting Caroline to leave him and his brother alone to talk.

"Does it look like I do dishes?" Caroline said with a musical laugh.

"For me?" Damon insisted, getting annoyed.

"Hmm... ", Caroline thought about it. "I don't think so", she responded firmly then looked at the younger Salvatore.

As soon as Caroline looked back towards Damon, he held her gaze with a serious look on his face and his pupils dilated.

"Go see if Pearl and Elena needs help in the kitchen", he compelled her.

"You know what?" Caroline said getting her senses back. "I'm gonna go see if Pearl and Elena needs some help in the kitchen", she added.

"Great", Damon faked a smile. Caroline left giving two brothers some privacy.

"They are people, Damon. She's not a puppet. She doesn't exist for your amusement, for you to feed on whenever you want to", Stefan hissed.

"Sure she does", Damon shrugged. "They all do. They're whatever I want them to be. They're mine for the taking', he smirked.

"All right, you've had your fun", Stefan responded. "You used Caroline, you got to meet Pearl, good for you. Now it's time for you to go".

"That's not a problem. Because... I've been invited in Norman's residence", Damon told and a horrified look came at Stefan's face. "And I'll visit her tomorrow night and the following night and I'll do with your little best friend whatever I want to do", Damon added with a smirk, "Because that is what is normal to me".

* * *

She was walking along a grassy path with her feet bare. The moon was the only source of light in the night's darkness. Her feet were becoming wet because of the dew drops that were fallen on the grass. She was wearing a simple blue dress that traveled down to her knees showing off her smooth legs. As she moved further she saw a beautiful mansion. A closer look told her it was her house but it had an old look about it.

She arrived at the front door and opened it with a creak. She moved inside and saw a table with two candles. She was rooted to the spot when two arms came around her waist and someone started leaving trails of kisses down her delicate neck. Pearl quickly turned to see who the person was and the crystal-blue eyes stared back at her.

Pearl woke up panting. The dream seemed so real and she looked around her room dreading someone might jump out of the shadows but there was no one. She fell back asleep not noticing the black bird on her window sill. Her necklace was placed forgotten on the bedside table.

* * *

Pearl arrived at the football game not in a good mood. She didn't have a proper sleep all night because of the dreams casting a certain Salvatore. Seth didn't even go near his sister as he sensed her bad mood. He didn't want to be an outlet for his sister's fury.

Pearl saw Elena without a cheerleading uniform with Stefan. They were walking hands in hands talking and laughing. At least someone was having a good time-she thought as she joined Bonnie.

Later Elena joined her friends too, showing them her beautiful necklace and Pearl as well showed the two girls hers that she wore this morning because her mother reminded her.

The whole school was crowded around the field. On one side of the field there were players and on the other side cheerleaders. Elena and Pearl were as well the part of the huge crowd.

Tanner was giving a very motivating speech and assured everyone that they would win this year because of Stefan Salvatore. Tanner's praising Stefan made Tyler Lockwood boiled with rage and he found Jeremy Gilbert to take all his frustration out.

Elena and Pearl were engrossed in their own conversation when they saw a commotion on the other side of the field involving their younger siblings. Both girls rushed to the scene and saw Seth and Jeremy having a hand to hand combat with Tyler Lockwood. Vicki was standing on the sidelines trying to stop them. Stefan also arrived.

"Seth, stop", Pearl came to the combat zone to prevent her brother from fighting. She dragged Seth aside while Elena grabbed Jeremy's arm.

"Hey, he's down! Enough!" Stefan angered at Tyler who was trying to get to both teens. In return the younger Salvatore received a punch but didn't seem a bit affected by that heavy blow.

Pearl and Elena were distracted from their brothers as they focused their attention at Stefan and Tyler. They unaware of the younger Gilbert who clutched a broken beer bottle in his hand and made for Tyler. The Lockwood swiftly moved out of the way leaving Stefan, who was caught in the collateral damage, getting his hand cut from the glass bottle that was meant for Tyler.

"Jeremy, no!" both Elena and Pearl shouted together. They held him back and Seth aided.

"Tyler, knock it off!" Matt shouted. "Stop!" he ordered.

"What the hell, Jeremy?" Elena spat. "Put your head up, you're bleeding", she said worriedly, tilting his head.

"I'm fine!" Jeremy growled back.

"You smell fine; too", Pearl added with sarcasm, referring to the whiff of alcohol coming off his mouth.

"Just stop, ok?" he yelled, walking away leaving a troubled Elena and Pearl behind him.

"Don't worry… I'll deal with him", Seth said back and was about to move away when Pearl grabbed his hoodie from behind.

"What?" he spat.

"Deal with him!" Pearl gave him a look. "You were fighting right beside him, that's how you deal in such situations", Pearl scoffed.

"It was Tyler who started it, okay", he snapped. "Now if you are done can I go", he said and left, not waiting for Pearl's answer.

"Did he just walk away from me?" Pearl looked at Elena disbelieving, while Elena patted her friend's shoulder and made her way to the injured Stefan who had a cut.

"How is Stefan?" Pearl asked Elena as the tall girl joined her on one of the benches where Pearl was sitting alone.

"You also saw his hand right?" Elena asked with a confused tone. "There was blood".

"Yeah I saw Jeremy cutting his hand accidentally. His hand was bleeding profusely", Pearl replied.

"But he didn't have that cut anymore. He said it was someone else's blood", Elena informed. "Come with me", she added.

"Hey! Where you been?" Bonnie asked from Elena and Pearl, as she found them walking around the field.

"Can I ask you a question and you give me a really serious no-joke response?" Elena asked Bonnie with a serious look.

"Of course… What is it?" Bonnie said, concerned at the freaked out looks on her friends' faces.

"The bad mojo. When you touched Stefan and you had that reaction...", Elena started but Bonnie cut her off.

"You know what, forget I said that", Bonnie responded with a smile. "Your little dinner party plot totally won me over", she added.

"No, Bonnie, seriously. What was it?" Elena asked resolutely.

"Did you see something, Or...", Pearl further said.

"It wasn't clear like a picture. Like today, I keep seeing those same numbers I told you about... 8, 14, 22", Bonnie began.

"Yeah…?" Elena and Pearl urged her.

"When I touched Stefan, it was a feeling", Bonnie explained. "And it vibrated through me, and it was cold, and it... ", she trailed off.

"And what..?" Pearl questioned impatiently, wanting to know the truth.

"It was death. It's what I imagine death to be like", the olive-skinned girl said with a grave look.

Pearl left Elena and Bonnie's side and made for her car to retrieve her phone that she had left there. Forgetting things was a habit of hers and no matter how much harder she tried to change it she was helpless in this case. She was unlocking her car when she felt a presence behind her. She turned, scared out of her wits and saw Damon Salvatore standing behind her in all his dark glory.

"Oh God… ", Pearl said putting a hand over her pounding heart. "You gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?" she added breathlessly.

"I'm hiding from Caroline", he answered in mere whisper.

"And why are you hiding from her?" Pearl said in a hushed voice mimicking him.

"I needed a break. She talks more than I can listen", he joked. She looked at him not knowing where he was going with all this and he continued.

"She's awfully young", he shrugged. "I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she'd drive me crazy", he informed her.

"She is my friend", she said. "Actually one of my best friends… So it's better if you don't bitch about her in front of me", Pearl said trying to walk away but he blocked her and she glared.

"Duly noted", he said. "I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable", he apologized. "That's not my intention".

"Oh really", Pearl retorted. "Then why am I getting the feeling that's exactly what you want, otherwise you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say", she argued. "Now can I go", she said with an eye roll.

"You're right", Damon admitted ignoring her. "I do have other intentions, but so do you".

"Yeah right", Pearl replied sarcastically.

"Mm-hmm", Damon nodded. "I see 'em. You want me", Damon said invading her personal space which she didn't like at all.

"You are nuts", Pearl said pushing him away using her hands but he grabbed her arms in his rough clutches.

"I get to you", he smirked as she struggled to free his hold. "You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me", he continued and Pearl looked up dumbfounded at his stubbornness. "And right now... You want to kiss me", he said leaning close, his full lips almost touching Pearl's baby pink ones.

At the last moment Damon's grip on her arms loosened as he thought he had successfully compelled her. But Pearl took advantage of that and freed her hand punching him right on the nose, hurting herself in the process. The elder Salvatore got an astounded look on his face as his compulsion didn't work on the short beauty. Then his eyes moved to her locket and a look of realization dawned on his face.

"Who do you think you are, huh? First you fooled Caroline with your charm and now you are trying it with me. But let me make one thing very clear in that thick head of yours, I am not Caroline and I am so not Silvia", she snarled and pushed him hard before walking away.

Stefan and Matt were talking in the changing rooms unaware of the shadow that was listening to everything said between the two team mates. As Matt exited the changing rooms someone applauded. Stefan turned around seeing his brother leaning against the wall in a dark corner.

"Isn't that nice?" Damon mocked. "Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so, 'rah, rah, go team, yeah!"

"Not tonight", Stefan said tired of him. "I'm done with you". He was walking away from Damon like always but his brother appeared in front of him with an arrogant smirk.

"Do you know Pearl has a necklace with vervain in it", he informed his brother. "I am getting a feeling this must have something to do with you", Damon guessed. "It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion. Where'd you get it? He asked directly.

"Does it matter?" Stefan said and walked a few steps ahead.

"Guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way", he added with a smirk looking at his brother's retreating form. "Or I could just... eat her", he shrugged.

"No. You're not gonna hurt her, Damon", Stefan stated facing his brother. His tone wasn't one of warning or threat; he stated it like a fact.

"No?" Damon asked raising dark black eyebrows.

"Because deep down inside, there is a part of you that feels for her", Stefan told him. "I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be", he finished.

"Who's pretending?" Damon asked wiggling his eyebrows.

"Then kill me", Stefan said with an inviting tone.

"Well, I'm... I'm tempted", he nodded.

"No, you're not", Stefan said with surety. "You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Silvia is dead. And you hate me because you loved her, and you torture me because you still do. And that, my brother, is your humanity", he smiled.

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Tanner barged in the changing rooms.

"If that's my humanity... then what's this?" Damon questioned.

He zipped towards Tanner with his fangs out and ripped into Tanner's neck sucking all blood running through history teacher veins.

"No!" Stefan yelled. Damon threw Tanner's body aside with blood trailing down his chin.

"Anyone, anytime, any place", Damon growled.

Matt strolled out of the locker rooms after having an argument with Tyler. He was walking in his own world when he sensed something wrong. He walked a few steps and found an unmoving body. He got closer to get a better look and saw Tanner laying there with a wound on his neck, his eyes completely hollow as there was no life in him.

"Somebody help!" Matt shouted.

* * *

Pearl came back home with Seth. Both siblings had sorted things out and now things were back to normal between them. Pearl made her way to the bedroom changing in her comfy clothes. She was feeling a lot of emotions at the same time. Suspicions, fear, confusion and rage were clouding her mind… suspicions about Stefan; fear because of Tanner's death, confusion on what animal could attack a human being like this and rage at the elder Salvatore. Just when she had started thinking he wasn't that bad of a person, he showed her his true colors. Pearl's eyes got heavy because of all the exhaustion and soon she fell asleep.

Damon was standing beside her bed watching the beautiful girl sleeping soundly. She was different, different from what he had expected, different from Silvia. His gaze lingered for a few seconds on her lips that he had been so close to kiss. He put the thought at the back of his mind and extended his hand gently caressing her soft cheeks tenderly not wanting her to wake up. Pearl stirred in her sleep and he reluctantly left but not before getting a final glimpse of Pearl Norman.


	5. Chapter : 5

FAMILY TIES

It was middle of the night and there was an eerie silence engulfing the Norman's residence. A shadow was walking upstairs and made its way to the door on the far end of the landing. It fumbled with a handle and opened the door, entering the room, closing it noiselessly behind. It reached the bed on which Pearl was sleeping. It hunched down to her level with its sharp fangs bared. Suddenly Pearl jolted awake from her sleep and looked around finding her room empty but the door was ajar. She heard the sound of footsteps.

Pearl removed her covers and got out of the room. She heard the noise again.

"Seth? Mum?" Pearl called into the darkness, her voice shaking slightly because of unknown fear. She came downstairs looking at her back, now and then.

She rushed to the light switch and flipped it on but the power was out. Pearl walked a little further and stumbled on something falling face first on the floor. She groaned and turned to her side but a blood curdling scream erupted from her throat as she saw Elena's body laying next to her with open eyes and unmoving. There was a wound on her neck just like the one on Tanner's.

Pearl heard a loud bang from somewhere in the house. She quickly got up running for the front door. As she opened it she saw Damon standing there with his infamous smirk and a devilish look in his eyes. Pearl closed the door and ran for her life as fast as she could but she tripped again. As she struggled to get up Damon came over her. He pinned her small frame with his muscular one, his fangs bared and dark veins under his eyes. She tried all her efforts to yank him off her but he was stronger. He pinned her hands above her head and then came down to her neck ripping the delicate skin with his jagged teeth. A shriek echoed in the surroundings and Stefan Salvatore finally woke up from his frightful dream, covered with sweat.

His forest green eyes landed on his elder brother who was seated on a chair with his feet on the table top. Clearly he was the reason for Stefan's bad dream.

"Bad dream?" Damon asked flipping the pages of Stefan's journal. "Do you know how easy it was to get into your head just now? You really need some human blood", Damon suggested, "It might even the playing field". "Football reference. Too soon", he added afterwards with a humorous tone.

Stefan felt a hot surge of anger at his brother's coldness. He zipped to the table like a greased lightning, picking up a knife and chucked it at his brother. The sharp object hit Damon in the stomach causing a dark spot on his black t-shirt, but it had no effect as the elder Salvatore was immune to pain. Damon pulled the knife out like it was nothing.

"All right, I deserved that", he admitted looking at his younger sibling. "But I just wanted to let you know, they caught the culprit. The animal responsible for killing coach Tanner and all those people", Damon informed Stefan.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked puzzled at the information.

"It was a mountain lion", Damon told him like it was obvious. "Really big one", he expressed using his hands. "It attacked a hunter this morning. It's all over the news. 'Deadly beast captured. All's well in Mystic Falls'", he ended dramatically.

"Why would you cover your tracks?" Stefan asked him.

"I've decided to stay a while", Damon told him walking around the room and stopped right in front of the bright window, staring out of it. "And I'm just having way too much fun here with Pearl", he smirked, facing his brother.

"Can't touch her now", Stefan prompted with an air of smugness.

"Well, the vervain keeps me out of her head. Maybe that's not my target. Believe it or not, Stefan, some girls don't need my persuasion. Some girls just can't resist my good looks, my style and my charm", he said strutting arrogantly towards his brother, "and my unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift". Damon added the last statement flinching slightly.

"She will never go for you", Stefan made clear.

"Oh really… you think so. But you know what I think? I think she is playing hard to get", Damon said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Out of no where Damon stabbed Stefan who gasped from the pain falling down to his knees. He wasn't as stronger as his brother because of his animal blood diet.

"This is John Varvatos, dude", Damon said looking down at the hole in his shirt. "Dick move". Damon left leaving his wounded brother on the floor. Stefan removed the knife and lifted his shirt to see the gash that was quickly healing.

"I can confirm that a 12-Foot puma mountain lion attacked a hunter and was subsequently shot and killed. The hunter is in stable condition", Stefan heard Sheriff Forbes telling the news guy.

_'The real animal is still out there, waiting for me, challenging me to fight back, to stop him. But how do I stop a monster without becoming one myself?'_ Stefan wrote in his diary, feeling helpless.

* * *

At Gilbert's house Pearl was sitting with Elena in the kitchen trying to wiggle her way out of the Founder's Party while the tall brunette was persistent, not buying any of Pearl's lame excuses.

"Do I really have to go?" Pearl whined, looking at Elena who had placed a wooden box on the table and was looking through its contents.

"Yes", Elena replied shortly not even glancing in her direction. Pearl made a face and then tried to figure out any other way that might save her from going to the boring Founder's Party.

"So are you going with Stefan?" she questioned, leaning forward.

"Yes, but I still have to ask him", Elena responded, taking out a pocket watch examining it closely.

"So Stefan is going to be there. Bonnie and Caroline too", Pearl started with a glint in her dark-brown orbs and Elena gave her a suspicious look. "I guess you can live a few hours without me, then", she pleaded, giving the tall girl a puppy dog look.

"You are going, Pearl and that's final", Elena said with finality in her voice, ignoring Pearl's doe eyes.

"Okay but I am going just for you", Pearl said putting both her arms on the table and resting her head lazily.

"Thanks", Elena said back with a lovely smile.

"Elena, you didn't tell me my favorite girl is here", Jenna, Elena's aunt, smiled at Pearl as she entered the kitchen.

"Hey Jenna", Pearl grinned. Jenna occupied a seat on the table and her eyes darted towards the turned on television.

"Scum ball", Jenna said looking at the news guy with a sour look on her face. "Scum bucket". Elena confusedly looked at her aunt.

."Scum ball, scum bucket", Pearl pondered, scratching her chin. "I like it", she exclaimed. "Thanks Jenna for adding two awesome words to my vocabulary. Do you have any other words like this", Pearl asked, bringing out her phone to note the words down.

Elena snatched the phone from her friend and mocked a glare. Pearl shrugged innocently in response.

"Who are you talking to?" Elena questioned.

"Him", Jenna responded glaring at the news guy.

"The news guy", Elena asked with raised eyebrows.

"He is Logan Fell", Pearl told Elena, straightening in her seat.

"Logan "Scum" Fell", Jenna corrected the short framed girl.

"What's the reason for name calling and deadly looks?" Pearl asked curiously, staring at the TV too.

"Did your mom ever tell you why I moved away from Mystic Falls?" Jenna directed at Elena.

"Oh, no way. You and him?" Elena said disbelievingly. "He's cute", she giggled staring at Logan.

"He is not cute. There's nothing cute about him", Jenna scorned. "What are you doing with that?" she asked, looking at the box placed in front of Elena.

"I went yesterday and got it from the safe deposit box", Elena informed. "Mom had told Mrs. Lockwood she would loan it to the founder's council for their heritage display".

"Is that grandma Beth's wedding ring?" Jenna asked picking up a ring, observing it closely.

"Originally it was great-great-grandma Mary's wedding ring", Elena corrected, taking it from Jenna and showing it to Pearl. The three females were interrupted by younger Gilbert who entered the kitchen in a rush.

"How much do you think this stuff is worth?" Jeremy asked picking up a pocket watch. You know, like on eBay?" he added.

"You're not gonna find out", Elena said grabbing away the pocket watch from his hands.

"That stuff is mom and dad's. You can't just give it away", Jeremy prompted and walked to the fridge opening its door, looking inside.

"I'm not giving it away. It's called a loan, Jeremy", Elena replied.

"Hey I gotta go", Pearl said standing up. "Bonnie is coming over", Pearl added. "Bye Jenna, bye Jer".

* * *

At Norman's residence Pearl was killing the time by watching television, waiting for Bonnie who had promised to help her in deciding what to wear at Founder's Party. She heard heavy footsteps and turned her head to saw Angela Norma coming in living room all dusty and dirty; carrying a few heavy leather bounded books.

"What are you doing with these?" Pearl asked her mother, gaping at her mother's state and then at the books.

"These are your ancestor's journals. Found them in the attic", Angela replied still standing. She placed the books on the table.

"And what were you doing in the attic?" Pearl asked picking up a book. She sneezed as the dust entered her nostrils.

"I am free today so I thought of cleaning the attic", Angela replied, clearly worn out. "Can you put these in the library? I immediately needed a shower".

"Okay mum", Pearl nodded, picking the books from the table. She made her way out of the living's room other door and into the hallway at the end of which Norman's library was present. She didn't usually visit the place as she and the heavy books weren't good friends.

She entered the library where there were lines of book shelves with large volumes of books. She made her way to the single desk placing the books on it.

Pearl accidentally dropped one and stooped down to pick the book that was laying open on the floor. Pearl's eyes fell on a weird picture of a person with pointed teeth and there were lines under his eyes. It seemed more like a face of a demon rather than a man. She picked it up and sat on the table, started reading an entry.

_I was never a believer. Never had faith in Supernormal but that's until I saw them with my own eyes. They are demons living among humans. They have a thirst for blood which never quenches. They come out at night as their pale skins burns in the sunlight. Vervain is their only weakness._

_They have come to the town. They are living among us. They are stronger, faster and have quick healing powers. They can make you do things…._

"Pearl, Bonnie is here", she heard Seth's voice. She closed the book placing it back on the table and then exited from the library.

Pearl was looking through her walk in wardrobe trying to find a dress that she could wear to Founder's Party while her friend Bonnie Bennet was sitting on her fluffy bed looking at various jewelry boxes.

"Why you never wear these things?" Bonnie asked her, examining beautiful white color earrings.

"Well you know I don't like wearing jewelry or dresses but mum just keep on piling my wardrobe with these things in the hope that someday I may turn into a proper lady, wearing no more torn jeans", she replied taking out a pretty sky blue dress. "How about this?" she asked showing it to her olive-skinned friend.

"Wow… its pretty. Looks perfect with you", Bonnie replied, staring at the stunning dress.

"So who are you going with?" she asked Bonnie, taking a spot on the bed and placing the blue dress there. She picked up another box trying to find matching earrings.

"No one", Bonnie responded with a shrug. "Wanna go with me?" she asked looking hopefully at Pearl.

"Only if you ask in a proper way", Pearl said with a straight face.

"Okay so Miss Pearl Norman would you like to escort me to the Founder's Party", Bonnie said imitating a masculine voice.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Bennett", Pearl giggled curtseying and almost tripped in an effort.

"That's not how a proper lady acts", Bonnie laughed at her clumsiness.

"Shut up", Pearl pouted.

* * *

The next day around noon the three best friends were gathered in Elena's bedroom getting ready for the Founder's Party while Pearl was telling them about the entry that she had read in her ancestor's journal, resting on her back on Elena's bed.

"There was a creepy picture of some guy with fangs and lines under his eyes", Pearl told them.

"Must be some freaky artist… your ancestor", Bonnie replied, who was sitting with Pearl, groping in her messenger bag's pockets.

"Yeah but he has written that he has seen those things… demon is the word he used… must be vampires", Pearl responded, standing up from bed and picked a small box from the dresser.

"Well he could be some fiction writer", Elena suggested.

"Or someone who had drained all his liquor stash in one day", Pearl said.

"Okay we have a party to attend girls… So Delicate flower vs. Naughty vixen", Bonnie asked, comparing two nail paints. Pearl shrugged taking a spot on the bed.

"Tough call… Can we mix them?" Elena answered, trying a pair of earrings looking in the vanity mirror.

"Try these", Pearl passed Elena another set of earrings.

"Look at you, getting all pretty for your date", Bonnie uttered, glancing at the tall girl. "You seem happy-Ish", she added.

"I am...ish. Tonight's going to be a good night", Elena said, looking clearly delighted.

"Yeah it's obvious, you are going with your charming prince", Pearl winked at Elena.

"Okay but don't let my happiness stop you from telling me whatever it is you wanted to tell me as soon as you walked in the door", Elena sat beside Bonnie, staring at her.

"What if I tell you in the morning?" Bonnie said. "I don't want to ruin the night".

"Bonnie, out with it", Elena looked at the olive-skinned girl.

"Ok, but it has to go in the vault, because Caroline will kill me if it gets back to Damon that she squealed", Bonnie told both girls.

"Come on Bon, end the suspense", Pearl said, impatient.

"Apparently Stefan has a very interesting back story", Bonnie informed them.

"Uh-Huh", Elena nodded, urging her to continue.

"Do you know why Stefan and Damon have issues?" Bonnie questioned with raised eyebrows.

"It must have something to do with their girlfriends, Silvia and Katherine", Pearl shrugged.

"Yeah, Damon dated Stefan's best friend Silvia. But with time Stefan started growing jealous and possessive. Like he was losing her because of his brother… And that drove Stefan mad, so he did horrible things to try and break them up. He manipulated Silvia. He filled her head with all these lies until finally it worked, and she turned against Damon", Bonnie narrated.

"That sounds like one person's side of the story", Elena pointed out.

"Meaning Damon's", Pearl added.

"I just wanted you to know", Bonnie responded, looking at Elena.

"Anyway, his past relationships are none of my business", Elena said offhandedly, standing up.

"Unless he's a calculating, manipulative liar", Bonnie said back. "That is your business".

"Stefan is none of those things", said Elena confidently.

"Yeah… ? How do you know?" Bonnie countered.

"Well I know he is not", Pearl piped up. "And I also happen to know who is a calculating manipulating liar", Pearl said.

"Who", Bonnie asked while Elena looked at her fixedly.

"Damon", Pearl stated, like it was clear as day.

"Why do you say that?" Bonnie questioned.

"Well….", she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Did something happen?" Elena asked, sensing Pearl's changed demeanor.

"He tried kissing me the other day… he just came on to me. I tried stopping him but...", Pearl trailed off.

"So you kissed him back", said Bonnie incredulously.

"No...", Pearl blurted out, taken aback. "No", she repeated with a low voice. "I punched him'.

"Have you told Caroline about it?" Elena stared at the short girl.

"What am I suppose to tell her? That the guy she was currently dating is going after her friends behind her back. I mean come on", said Pearl, looking freaked out.

"So what you gonna do then", Bonnie asked.

"Keep my mouth shut until I find the right time to tell her", Pearl replied.

* * *

"Do they still wear ties at this thing?" asked Damon as he walked in to the room where Stefan Salvatore was seated on a wooden chair polishing his shoes.

"Why are you even going?" Stefan questioned looking up at him.

"It's only fitting", Damon replied glancing at Stefan in the mirror. "We were at the very first one, remember?" he reminded his brother.

"I think it's better if we don't draw attention to ourselves", Stefan suggested pouring himself some whiskey from the glass bottle placed on the table.

"So you should stay here", Damon retorted. "I'll see to it Elena and Pearl have a good time". "My goodness, I've driven you to drink", he added in a joking manner, seeing his brother drinking whiskey.

"Can't seem to rid myself of you", Stefan responded. "What else am I supposed to do, besides go about living my life?" he added, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Go about living my life", Damon imitated his younger brother. "See, therein lies your eternal struggle", he said all wisely. "You're dead, dude. Get over it". Damon turned to his brother facing him. "What do you think?" he held up a tie to his naked chest.

* * *

Bonnie, Elena and Pearl were getting pretty in Elena's bathroom mirror. Bonnie and Elena were applying makeup while Pearl was trying different hairstyles and getting annoyed too, as she didn't feel comfortable with them. Every now and then she groaned with frustration and the other two girls passed amused looks in her direction but she didn't notice.

Elena's phone started ringing and she left the bathroom.

"Hello? Hi, Mrs. Lockwood", Elena said into the phone. "What do you mean? It is? Are you sure? 'Cause I saw it. Let me check. Mm-Hmm. I will find it and bring it. Ok. Bye", Elena hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Pearl asked worriedly but Elena stalked out without replying. Pearl spent a few more minutes on her hairs while Bonnie applied eyeliner.

"I am done", she huffed, finally tying her hairs in a bun.

"Don't tie, leave them down", Bonnie suggested and removed the pin, making the thick mass of hairs fell down on her back.

* * *

"It's cool not growing old", Damon said staring himself in the mirror. "I like being the eternal stud", he added adjusting the collar of his black shirt.

"Yes, being a 150-Year-Old teenager has been the height of my happiness", Stefan did a cheers gesture with his glass and then gulped down all its contents.

"You cracked a funny, Stefan", Damon sneered facing his brother. "I should have a drink to celebrate", he sauntered towards Stefan, picking a glass and the corked whiskey.

He walked to another table in the room his eyes stopping on two pictures placed there but only one captured his attention- the one having the girl he never stopped loving after all these years. His fingers grazed her beautiful face gently like she was real. A slight smile lightened his face.

"1864… You and Katherine were the perfect couple", Damon said to his brother, glancing at the other photo.

"Can't say the same about you and Silvia", Stefan said back.

"It was hell watching that guy dance with her. She even saved a dance for you, but didn't spare a glance in my direction", Damon said, the slight sulky edge hidden behind his cool tone wasn't gone unnoticed by his baby brother. "I left the party early". He remembered everything so clear like it had happened yesterday and not lifetimes ago.

Damon opened the bottle pouring himself a drink. He brought the glass to his lips and Stefan forgot to breathe for a few seconds hoping for his plan to succeed. Damon caught the whiff of vervain in it and dumped the liquid on the floor.

"I admire your effort, Stefan", Damon said plainly. "Pouring yourself a drink then spiking the bottle with vervain. I'm not some drunk sorority chick. You can't roofie me". "But I can't help but feel a little used", he heaved a sigh, "I thought we were having a moment". "I have to go to the party angry. Who knows what I'll do?" he walked away with anger flaring in his crystal-blue orbs.

* * *

Pearl arrived at the Founder's Party with Bonnie and Jenna. They were standing in a line behind Stefan and Elena waiting for their turn.

Pearl was dressed in a beautiful sky blue dress that reached down to her knees with matching heels that she was forced to wear by Elena and Bonnie. Her hairs were down with slight ringlets at the end.

Pearl, Elena and Stefan were exploring the items displayed in the heritage display. Pearl's eyes fell on the first registry of the founder's Party.

"Hey look Lena, it's the original guest registry of the first Founder's Party", Pearl called for the other two. Stefan and Elena joined her.

"The founding families in Mystic Falls welcomes you to the inaugural founder's council celebration", she recited. "See there are so many familiar names... Sheriff William Forbes, Mayor Benjamin Lockwood, Rudolph Norman", she stopped. "Must be my ancestor", she added and Stefan and Elena smiled at her. "Is that Damon Salvatore? And, Stefan Salvatore?" she asked looking closely.

"The original Salvatore brothers", someone said from behind her and she turned to see her least favorite Salvatore walking towards them with Caroline. "Our ancestors… Tragic story, actually", he said stopping right in front of Pearl, his scrutinizing gaze fixed on her.

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past", said Stefan hastily and Pearl nodded not wanting to spend another minute in Damon's company.

"It's not boring, Stefan", Elena responded keenly. "I'd love to hear more about your family", she added with a smile. Pearl wanted to do the face palm at her friend's eagerness to know her new boyfriend and even lifted her hand for it but at the last moment she covered it by putting her stray locks behind her ears.

"Well, I'm bored. I want to dance", Caroline grumbled. "And Damon won't dance with me", she said looking at him.

"Mm-Mmm", Damon said shaking his head.

"Could I just borrow your date?" Caroline asked Elena, seeming desperate.

"Oh, uh...", Elena was hesitant.

"I don't really dance", Stefan replied looking at the blonde.

"Oh, sure he does", Damon smirked. "You should see him. Waltz, the jitterbug, the moonwalk. He does it all", he elaborated.

"You wouldn't mind, would you, Elena?" Caroline asked Elena, but her mind was already made.

"It's up to Stefan", Elena replied looking in Stefan's direction.

"Well sorry, but I'm not going to take no for an answer", Caroline took Stefan's hand and made for the dance floor.

"Hey Elena, can I have a dance with you", Matt came out of no where and asked Elena.

Elena looked at Pearl and she shook her head pleading the tall brunette to not leave her alone with Damon but Elena, being the kind girl she was, couldn't refuse.

"Sure, Matt", she said and went with him, taking up on his offer. Pearl looked at their retreating forms with longing expressions and thought about following them. It would be better if she stay away from Damon.

"You look beautiful", Damon said huskily, bringing her out of her trance. "Blue suits you", he added looking her up and down.

"I gotta go", Pearl said quickly, trying to escape but it seemed like that older Salvatore's favorite hobby was to block her way.

"Give me a minute", Damon said getting in her way.

"What", she glared, with red rising on her cheeks because of the bottled up anger.

"I want to apologize to you for being such a world-class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you", he started. "There's no excuse", he added looking slightly sorry for what he had done. "My therapist says I'm... acting out, trying to punish Stefan", he informed Pearl seriously.

"No wonder you have a therapist", Pearl said and Damon chuckled in response.

"So have you accepted my apology?" he asked her, wiggling his dark black eyebrows.

"Well you are standing right in front of me and I am not punching you back. I guess that's enough of a proof", she replied. "Why are you doing this to Stefan?" she pried.

"It's all in the past", Damon said signaling backwards to the registry. "I don't even want to bring it up. Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry", he told. "And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers", he added.

"The Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town. Until the war. There was a battle here…".

"The battle of willow creek", Pearl interrupted him.

"Right", he nodded.

"We talked about it in class. Confederate soldiers fired on a church with civilians inside", she said sounding like a know-it all.

"What the history books left out was the people that were killed. They weren't there by accident. They were believed to be union sympathizers", Damon told her walking a few steps ahead stopping beside the exact replica of the church. Pearl listened him intently. "So some of the founders on the confederacy side back then wanted them rounded up and burned alive. Stefan and Damon had people they loved very much in that church. And when they went to rescue them, they were shot". "Murdered in cold blood", he added with a painful look in his eyes. Pearl stared at him and he quickly masked it.

"Who was so important to them in the church that they were ready to sacrifice their lives?" Pearl questioned inquisitively.

"Their women, I guess", he responded with a shrug. "Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?" he asked looking directly in Pearl's dark-brown orbs that reminded him so much of 'her'.

"Look, this thing between you and Stefan, whatever sibling rivalry is going on between you guys, it's between you and him… you should keep it between yourselves. Bringing me or Elena in this, it's not right. It will only make things worse", she told him with slight soft look. "I hope you guys can work it out", she added staring up at him.

"I hope so, too", he said after sometime as he was busy staring in her eyes. She nodded her head and then walked away from him like always.

* * *

Pearl was standing on a side outside the Lockwood Mansion observing her surroundings with a bored expression on her face when she was joined by Bonnie and Elena.

"You okay?" Elena asked her. "Damon didn't try anything?"

"Nope… actually he apologized", Pearl answered.. "Said he did that kissing stunt because he wanted to punish Stefan…".

"Punish Stefan? Why?" Bonnie questioned, raising her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

"Well it all goes back to their girlfriends, Silvia ad Katherine", Pearl responded. "But I asked him to keep me and Elena out of it". Elena nodded agreeing with her but deep down she felt her trust on Stefan wavering.

"What are you thinking?" Pearl asked her friend, trying to figure out the look on her face.

"Nothing", Elena replied shortly with a smile. At that instant the younger Salvatore joined them.

"Would you like a dance with me, Miss Pearl", Stefan extended his hand with a perfect smile.

"I don't dance, Stefan", Pearl refused.

"Come on, go", Elena and Bonnie urged her and Pearl reluctantly followed Stefan on the dance floor.

Unknown to Pearl the elder Salvatore's eyes were fixed on her, seeing her dancing with his brother, laughing with him. An almost jealous expression formed on Damon Salvatore's face as he saw history repeating itself.

After sometime Pearl left the dance floor and Elena took her place dancing with Stefan.

"So Damon told Pearl about Katherine and Silvia", Elena started as she and Stefan danced together. "What happened to them?" she asked.

"It's not something I like to talk about", Stefan said plainly.

"I get that. I do. I just want you to know that you can", Elena said looking in forest green eyes. "I mean, I burden you with all of my drama, and I want you to do the same".

"I know. Thank you", Stefan nodded, not uttering another word as they continued to sway with music.

"The truth is, Stefan... I don't really know that much about you, and I'd really love it if you would open up to me", Elena said, stopping their movements.

"Damon said something, didn't he? He likes to play games and cause trouble, Elena", Stefan explained.

"This isn't about Damon", she replied shaking her head. "It's about me trying to get to know you. Look, you're the mystery guy, and I like that. But with mystery comes secrets, and this thing with Katherine and Silvia", Elena said.

"Let it go. I don't want to talk about it", Stefan said directly.

"Well, then, say something about yourself", Elena snapped. "Anything…", she added. Otherwise, I'm left with nothing but what other people tell me".

"Don't you see what Damon has done here? He's trying to get you to turn against me", responded Stefan grabbing her shoulders gently.

"Well, then I guess it's working", Elena spat, walking away. Stefan looked around and found his brother staring at him with a smirk etched on his face.

Damon was ruining his only chance of happiness, his only chance of a fresh start- Stefan thought. He never knew that he had to pay all his eternity for a mistake he made hundred years ago. But Damon had promised him and he was keeping his promise.

Pearl, Elena and Bonnie were sitting together on a couch having ice-cream. Elena was telling them about her fight with Stefan.

"This is my fault", Bonnie blamed herself. "I planted doubt. I'm a doubt planter", she added with a guilty look on her pretty face.

"Well I was the one who told Elena about what Damon said, raising suspicions in her mind", Pearl reacted. "Guess this makes me a suspicion causer", she added after a thought.

"It's not your fault", Elena looked between her two friends. "I just—I feel terrible because I said that I wouldn't get in the middle of it, and then that's exactly what I did", she groaned. "I got all snotty".

"Elena, honey, there you are", Mrs. Lockwood came. "I notice the watch still isn't in the collection".

"Oh, um, I'm sorry, Mrs. Lockwood. I, um, I couldn't find it. I guess it's still packed up in my parents' stuff somewhere", Elena replied hesitantly.

"I see. Well, please let me know if you do find it", she responded and left.

* * *

Damon walked up the stairs making his way to a room where various historical items were displayed. Caroline followed him.

"Where have you been...?" the blonde beauty questioned.

"Ah. Looking for you", Damon said taking her arm and dragging her with him.

"Your brother barely danced with me for five minutes…", she complained.

"Ok, just a minute", Damon said stopping in the door way. "Stand right...there", he told positioning her in the door way to keep an eye while he made his way to the ancient items. He looked through the collection.

"Um, you're not supposed to touch", Caroline warned him.

Damon finally found what he had been searching for. It was a wooden box; he opened its lid and found a secret compartment bringing out a topaz pendent. "What is that?" she asked coming over to him.

"A very important crystal", he replied shortly, looking it over.

"Well, how did you know that it was there?" she questioned curiously.

"Because I put it there", Damon responded, putting the box back at its place.

"When...?" Caroline pried.

"A long time ago", he answered vaguely, accompanying her out of the room. "Tonight, I'm taking it back, thanks to you", he thanked he in a plain tone.

"Well, what's it for?"

"Never you mind… ".

"Well, you can't just steal it", she pointed out looking at him.

"It's not stealing if it's mine", he smirked. "Come on".

* * *

Pearl with Elena beside her, entered the powder room where their friend Caroline was already present. Caroline smiled at the two of them in the mirror and they returned the gesture. Elena brought out the eyeliner and reapplied it on her beautiful eyes.

"So how are things with Stefan?" Caroline asked the tall brunette while adding gloss to her lips.

"Great. Just great", Elena replied, concentrating on her liner.

"Really..? Well, my radar must be off, 'cause I was getting all sorts of other vibes...", Caroline responded. Pearl was listening to the conversation while she tied the thick mass of hairs in a messy bun. Her eyes fell on Caroline's neck and she saw a mark.

"Hey Care, what's on your neck?" Pearl asked and Elena also became attentive towards their blonde friend.

"Hmm?" Caroline asked confusedly not knowing what Pearl was talking about. Elena moved forward and tired removing her scarf but Caroline got flustered.

"Don't", the blonde girl exclaimed. But being determined Elena removed her scarf and both girls saw a bite mark on Caroline's neck.

"Oh God… what's that Care?" the short framed girl gasped, seeing the ugly mark.

"Nothing, ok…?" Caroline said back, adjusting her scarf to hide the mark.

"That is not nothing…", Elena roared. "Did somebody hurt you?"

"No, ok, nothing", Caroline pressed. "It just... My mom would kill me", she mumbled.

Pearl moved behind her removing her cardigan revealing more bite marks and bruises all over her back.

"Stop it, Pearl", Caroline snapped at the innocent faced girl, pulling the cardigan back.

"Did Damon do this?" Pearl asked with flaring anger directed at the elder Salvatore.

"No!" Caroline said hurriedly. "Of course not!" she added. "Just leave me alone, ok, guys". Caroline left them standing there worried at her reaction.

"I am not gonna let him get away with this", Pearl said venomously and stalked out of the room.

Pearl walked outside the huge house boiling with rage. She saw the elder Salvatore standing on the stone steps. A smirk made its way on his lips when he saw her walking towards him but it quickly was wiped off as she reached him and he saw the expression of utmost anger on her face. She pushed him as hard as she could but his muscular body barely felt the impact.

"There is something seriously wrong with you", she hissed. "You stay away from Caroline or I will go straight to her mother, the sheriff", she threatened. "Stay away from her", she said one last time and left.

Pearl was trying to find Elena or Bonnie when she saw Damon dragging a frightened Caroline with him. She followed the two out into the green lawns. Pearl heard Caroline pleading Damon and him saying reassuring things to her.

As she thought about going to them, she saw something she thought was impossible. Damon was holding Caroline from behind and suddenly his face changed. He no longer had that handsome face but a demonic one. His white teeth got elongated and sharp and black veins formed under his eyes and his normally crystal-blue orbs turned red.

Pearl remained rooted to the spot all feel from her leg gone making them numb. Before she could do anything to save her best friend from the clutches of that scary fiend he bit into Caroline's neck. Pearl gasped with horror as Caroline dropped to the floor and then the elder Salvatore followed her lead falling with an audible thud on the grassy ground. She saw the younger Salvatore joining the scene.

"You know, I couldn't spike your drink... So I spiked hers with vervain", she heard the Stefan said to a weak Damon.

Pearl tried her hardest to control the fear that was numbing her whole body and ran from the scene as fast as she could. She didn't even wait for Elena or Bonnie leaving the Lockwood mansion not even glancing back.

Pearl drove to her home with so much difficulty. She was scared and worried about her friend. She rushed upstairs locking the door behind her. She dashed to the window locking it and drew the curtains obscuring the moonlight that was coming inside her room.

She sat on the corner of her bed. She grabbed her pillow pulling it closer to her chest like a shield, sacred as hell. A lot of questions were swarming in her mind. Was Damon responsible for all the attacks? Did he kill Tanner and attacked Vicki in the woods?

What about Stefan? Was he too a bloodsucking monster? Elena's happy face came to Pearl's mind. Her friend was finally happy and now this…. Tears welled up in her eyes and streak down her rosy cheeks. She cried all night and didn't know when she fell asleep from exhaustion.

* * *

Stefan threw Damon in to a dark dungeon in a basement finally relaxed that he had rid the town from the actual beast. Finally Mystic Falls was safe but he had one more thing to worry about now. How is he going to explain the things to her? He had heard her footsteps, seen the blue of her pretty dress.

"Finally", Zach said with a relieved tone as Stefan entered the living room. "Has anyone seen you?" he asked from younger Salvatore.

Stefan didn't answer but brought out a beautiful chain with a round white pendant and put it on the table leaving the room. Zach picked up the chain and a look of realization dawned on his face.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-**

**Hey guys another chapter. Hope you people will like it. Especial thanks to Bronzelove, hayden and ThePhantomismylove for reviewing…. It really means a lot to me. Thanks to everyone who have read my fanfiction, fav or alert it.**

**Tell me what you think about Pearl? Like her or nor? Also tell me who you want her to be with… Klaus or Damon?**

**Tell me how can I improve and if you have any ideas, suggestions feel free to share. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. **


	6. Chapter : 6

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Hey everyone. Another chapter of my TVD story… Hope you people will like it. Thanks a lot to chanelle213, HAYDEN and grapejuice101 for their reviews and liking the story.**

**Thanks alotttt to Leah T for loving Pearl.**

**Especial thanks to someone anonymous for your awesome review. The way you described Pearl was exactly what I had in mind while writing her. It really is an achievement that you people understand her character.**

**Thanks for all the favs and alerts and for everyone who read my fanfiction.**

LOSING A LOVED ONE

Pearl was walking towards the Salvatore boarding house in the night's quietness. She was making her way to the old building with slow steps when she heard loud screaming coming from inside the place. She could recognize that voice anywhere. She ran towards the front door finding it open. She got inside and saw Stefan with his back facing her, sitting on the floor.

"Stefan", Pearl said timidly and walked a few steps forward.

Stefan didn't budge at all and didn't acknowledge Pearl's call in any way. She reached to him and put her small hand on his shoulder. He turned and Pearl shrieked with fear seeing his demonic face with blood smeared around his full lips. Her eyes landed on the body of her best friend Elena discarded on the floor. Pearl moved backwards as Stefan slowly approached her with a twisted smile on his face. All of a sudden she collided with a solid wall and turned to saw Damon standing right behind her with his faced also transformed. He grabbed her around the waist and slit open her neck with his sharp fangs.

Pearl woke up from her bad dream all drenched in sweat. She looked around her room that was illuminated with the sunlight. She took a few deep breaths trying to steady her heart beats and rubbed her temples that were aching badly.

For three days Pearl hadn't gotten out from her house or replied to any texts or calls that she received from her friends. She only left her room at meal times and then quickly came back without eating much.

Pearl rushed to the bathroom and washed her face with cold water. Glancing in the mirror a troubled girl stared back at her. Her normally rosy cheeks had turned pale and the entire glint was gone from her lively orbs due to lack of sleep.

Pearl knew that her mother and brother were getting worried about her present condition; the anxious glances both passed in her direction hadn't gone unnoticed by her. But she couldn't tell anything to them as she still couldn't figure out what is reality and what is fiction. Even if she would, she knew they wouldn't believe her.

A knock on her door startled her and she jumped a little but then she heard Seth's voice and felt relieved. Pearl opened her room's door slightly.

"What?" she asked Seth but he didn't reply and got inside pushing her aside.

"What the hell, Seth", she barked at her brother who made his way towards her bed and got comfortable on it, putting the tangled covers aside.

"You tell?" he retorted back, staring at her with those pretty hazel eyes.

"What do you mean?" Pearl acted naïve and closed the door. She started organizing her study table to escape from Seth's penetrating gaze.

"See… that's not like you?" Seth pointed out, his eyes still fixed on his sister. Pearl passed him a 'what the hell are you talking about' look.

"You are organizing your study table? I don't remember a day in my life you had done it", he prompted. "Will you care to join me?' he added patting a spot beside him.

Pearl rolled her eyes and sat beside him.

"So tell me what is wrong with you?" Seth asked casually.

"Nothing… ", she lied and gave him a forced smile to make her act more believable. "Why do you say that?"

"Do you think me and mum are fools… we can't see there is something wrong with you", he said incredulously.

"May be you should consult some eye specialist… test your eyesight as you are seeing things", she retorted. "Now get out, I want to sleep", she added.

"Pearl", he warned.

"I am fine, Seth", she snapped.

"Yeah… apart from the fact that your hairs are turning into a cuckoo's nest and you look like a walking dead, you are perfectly fine", said Seth, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Shut up, don't give me a headache with your blabbering", Pearls said, looking annoyed.

"See you are being mean too… ", he pointed out, directing a finger at his sister.

"I am always mean", Pearl countered.

"Yes you are", he agreed with a smile. "But that's being extra mean. This happened only when something isn't right. So tell me what happened? May be I can help".

"What would you do if twilight comes to life", she mumbled, not meeting his eyes and fiddled with her hands.

"What do you mean?" he asked perplexed.

"Nothing", she shook her head with a smile. "I am just not feeling well since the Founder's party. May be these are the after effects of wearing a dress and lots of make up", she said making a disgusted face. "And those fatal five-inch heels too", she added.

"You really think I am that dumb", Seth quizzed with an inclined eyebrow.

"Yep", Pearl smirked popping the 'p'.

"Okay don't tell me", Seth said, finally accepting his defeat before his stubborn sister. "But you know what, whatever is troubling you so bad you can handle it if you try", he said with a confident tone.

"How could you be so sure?" she asked not believing him.

"Because I know my sister... she is a total badass, she isn't the one to hide in her room all day", he told her with a smile. Pearl smiled a genuine smile at her brother's words.

"You know, Jeremy asked me to say thanks to you", Seth informed her.

"Why?" she said with a questioning look on her face.

"Vicki is with him now and he said that you gave him some grand advice and it worked", he grinned, trying to boast his sister's confidence. She nodded in response. Seth patted her head lovingly and then stood from her bed making his way to the exit.

"Seth", Pearl called as he opened the door. He turned his head.

"What if it's real complicated, something I have never dealt before… ", she faltered. "What if it's not that simple", she asked seriously.

"We are Normans… right", he said simply and left the room.

Seth's words did their intended work and Pearl felt something inside her… something that she had lost—her courage. She needed to be strong and face her fears. She had to do this for Elena. She had to find answers and only Stefan could provide her those. She was still finding it hard to believe that a sweet guy like Stefan could be some bloodsucking monster. He could go in the sunlight but he had quick healing powers also. All of it was very confusing. He could be a part vampire- Pearl thought. These questions were swarming in her mind giving her a severe headache and only Stefan could help her to find the missing puzzle pieces.

Pearl made for her dresser and took out a photo frame. It was a family photo. A cute girl about six years old with dark black shoulder length hairs was holding the hand of a small pretty boy about four with short brown hairs and hazel eyes. They were smiling goofily at the camera. Behind the children a handsome man with brown hairs and hazel eyes was holding a beautiful woman, with long black hairs and black eyes, very close to him. They both were looking down at their children with proud and loving looks on their faces.

Pearl's eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she remembered a few memories that she had of her father- Eric Norman. She still remembered the agonizing look that her mother had when they received the news of their dad's death. Still remembered how Angela hadn't talked for days and couldn't take care of her children. Seth was four at that time and Pearl remembered his innocent questions that he continuously asked from his elder sister.

Pearl remembered taking care of her brother and mother when her mum was going through depression. Those were the darkest times and if she could take care of everything at that time then why not now. Seth was right… she was a Norman and you couldn't scare a Norman. That's what her brother meant and that's what her father used to tell her.

"Love you, dad", she said with a thick voice and put the frame back at its place.

Pearl rushed to the bathroom and took a long refreshing bath. She dressed in her navy and white stripes t-shirt with her black hoodie and jeans. She combed her long hairs after three days and realized they really looked like a cuckoo's nest. She searched her drawers and finally found what she had been looking for- pepper spray, thinking about pulling Bella Swan. She put it inside her backpack and then walked downstairs straight to the kitchen. She picked a sharp knife and put it inside her bag too.

"What are you doing, Pearl?" Angela Norman asked from behind her.

"Oh… mum", Pearl said nervously facing her mother. "Nothing just looking for something to eat…"

"I'll bring you something to eat, you go, sit", Angela smiled at her daughter.

Pearl nodded and headed for the table. Angela placed a plate of chocolate-chip pancakes and juice. Pearl could feel her mother's eyes on her while she was trying to eat.

"So are you okay?" Angela asked softly after watching her daughter for sometime.

"I will be", she said honestly.

"Where is your necklace", Angela questioned.

"It's in my bag", Pearl lied not meeting her mother's eyes. She didn't want to hurt her mother by telling the gift that Angela had given was lost by her.

"Don't you like it?"

"No mum… I love it. I have it in my bag and you know how difficult it is to find anything in my bag. I'll wear it at school", she stood from her chair. "Where is Seth?"

"He already left with Paul", Angela said. Angela walked to Pearl and looked at her with soft look on her pretty face.

"You know you can tell me anything… and I mean anything", Angela stressed on 'anything', caressing her daughter's soft cheeks. "If something is troubling you, you can share it with me".

"I know mum… it's not anything that I can't handle. But if things got out of control I'll come straight to you", she responded with her beautiful smile and left with her backpack over her shoulder.

* * *

"Jenna! Are you aware of what's going on upstairs?" Elena asked her aunt as she walked in to the kitchen freaked out on seeing Vicki Donovan in bathroom.

"Uh-huh", Jenna responded casually eating her cereal.

"And you have no objection?" the tall brunette asked disbelievingly.

"He could be craftier about it, at least make an effort to sneak her in and out", Jenna smirked. "Oh, and just so you know, I won't be home for dinner", she added.

"Oh, so you're actually going to do it", Elena laughed. "You're gonna go out with Logan".

"I'm going to show up and torture him, yes", Jenna nodded. "And have you heard from Stefan?" she questioned.

"Not since he left that very vague message three days ago", Elena answered. "Hi, um, Elena, I, um, have something I have to do. I'll, uh, explain in a few days", she aped Stefan's voice.

"Haven't you called him?" Jenna asked standing up and joining her niece who was leaning beside the kitchen's counter pouring herself a coffee.

"Nope… ", Elena said popping 'p'. "Not going to either".

"And you're ok with everything?" Jenna asked staring at Elena.

"No, I'm not ok with any of it", Elena said. "But I'm not gonna cry about it, either. You know, I was going to write in my diary this morning and then I thought, what am I going to write? Honestly, I'm not gonna be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops spinning because of some guy", she informed her aunt.

"Then why do you seem so worried?" Jenna quizzed sensing Elena's worry.

"About Pearl", Elena responded. "She isn't replying any of my calls or texts. I haven't seen her since Founder's Party", she told.

"Its not like Pearl", Jenna stated creasing her eyebrows.

"That's why I am more worried", Elena said gulping down the black liquid.

"Why don't you go at her place… meet her and ask what's wrong", Jenna presented the idea.

"Yeah that's what I am gonna do if she won't come to school today", Elena agreed, putting her cup down.

* * *

Pearl was standing outside the Salvatore boarding house her heart thumping very fast in her chest. She extended her hand about to knock the wooden door but pull it back at her side. She had been indulged in this activity for the past five minutes.

"Okay you can do this", she said and extended her hand one last time about to bang on the door.

The door was suddenly opened from the other side before Pearl's fist made contact with the wood revealing Stefan Salvatore with his school bag.

Pearl quickly pulled back her hand jumping slightly at his sight. She created some distance between him and herself by moving backwards.

"Pearl… ". The shock was evident on younger Salvatore's face. He moved towards her but she walked backwards. Stefan saw the terror on her face and stopped.

"I know what you are Stefan", Pearl declared. "And before you think about eating me let me tell you this. I have told my mum that I am coming here", Pearl lied. "If I don't return home she will come here looking for me". "And moreover I am all ready", Pearl said bringing out pepper spray from her hoodie's pocket. "I know it can't kill you but it can make your eyes sting like hell", she added.

"I am not going to hurt you", Stefan said gently, staring in her dark-brown beautiful orbs.

"You really think I am gonna believe some lame line like this", Pearl scoffed. "You are no Edward Cullen and I am not Bella either".

"Who", Stefan questioned, puzzled.

"Never mind", Pearl dismissed. "I have come here to ask you a few questions and I need answers", she demanded, trying to sound fearless.

"We can talk inside", he invited her in, moving from the door way. Pearl was hesitant to follow him.

"Is Zach home?" she asked grabbing the spray firmly in her small hand.

"Yes", Stefan nodded.

"So does he know about what you and Damon are?" Pearl asked. She was still glued to the spot.

"Yes, he knows about us", Stefan reacted.

"Is he a vampire too", she blurted out with raised eyebrows.

"No", Stefan chuckled. "I mean it when I said I won't hurt you", he added convincingly. Something about the look on his face made Pearl walked in to the lion's den.

"Pearl", Zach said as she followed Stefan in to the living room. Pearl looked in his direction and passed a forced smile. Stefan got a spot on the couch while Zach insisted Pearl to do the same.

"So all those people who died, Tanner and Vicki's attack… Damon and you were responsible for this", she asked sternly feeling brave in Zach's company.

"No Damon was… I drink animal blood; I can resist my temptation for human blood. I don't like killing people", Stefan told her. Pearl looked at Zach's way for confirmation.

"He is right, Pearl. You can trust him", Zach smiled.

"What about sunlight… you don't burn in it so are you some kind of half vampire", Pearl inquired creasing her jet black eyebrows.

"No", Stefan said with amusement clear in his eyes at Pearl's question. "Me and Damon have rings for it… they keep us from burning", he responded, showing Pearl his lapis lazuli ring. "It's bewitched".

"So those Dracula crosses and stuff… nothing works on you people apart from vervain", Pearl stated. "I read in my ancestor's journal about vervain", she added at the questioning look on Stefan's face. Stefan nodded.

"So what happened to Damon the other night when he bit Caroline?" she quizzed. "And what about Caroline… those bites, can they turn her into a vampire?" she added anxiously.

"No… you have to die with vampire blood in your system. And I spiked Caroline's drink with vervain so when Damon bit her he grew weak. He is in the cellar", Stefan replied.

"How long…?" Pearl looked between Stefan and Zach.

"Until he desiccates… Then we will put him the family tomb", this time Zach answered her with a serious look.

"What about your age?" Pearl directed at Stefan.

"I am 17 since 1864… that makes me 162 years old", he replied and Pearl gaped at him looking at his young face.

"So you are extremely fast, young forever, have healing powers and can make people do things", Pearl stated.

"Yes that's called compulsion but I am not that strong because of animal blood. Damon is, that's why you need this back", Stefan said taking out Pearl's necklace. "You dropped it at Lockwood mansion".

"How this necklace can resist compulsion?" she asked taking her necklace back and fiddled with it.

"It has vervain in it… the one I gave to Elena also has vervain", Stefan informed her.

"But my mother gave me this", Pearl said. "Does this mean she knows?" she looked at Zach.

"Yes. Salvatores and Normans are very much aware of vampires' existence", Zach nodded. "You mother was getting suspicious about vampires being back in town when that Donovan girl was attacked. That's why she asked me for vervain".

"Does she know about Stefan and Damon too", Pearl asked from Zach.

"No… And you can't tell her. It's for Angela's own safety", Zach replied.

After the conversation was ended and Zach left to keep an eye on Damon, Pearl got out from the Salvatore Boarding house with Stefan right behind her.

"Pearl", he called as she moved towards her car. She turned. "Do you trust me?"

"I don't know Stefan and it's not like I met vampires on daily basis", she shrugged. "I want you to tell Elena", she told him after a small pause.

"I will", Stefan nodded. "I just need sometime", he appealed.

"Okay but not more than three days", Pearl told him, "or I'll tell her myself and don't even think about bringing your fangs anywhere near her veins", she warned.

"I love her, Pearl", he said. "I can't even think about hurting her".

"You know what I am taking my earlier statement back", Pearl reacted shaking her head. "You are so Edward Cullen". "But if you try to hurt her I'll behead you myself", she threatened.

"A stake through the heart can only kill a vampire", Stefan replied with a slight smile.

"Yeah right…. ", Pearl nodded awkwardly looking slightly embarrassed.

* * *

Pearl arrived at school and made straight for her locker. She was rummaging in its contents when a sudden voice behind her startled her.

"Hey", Elena and Bonnie greeted, coming behind her.

"Oh… hey", Pearl greeted back looking flustered. "How are you guys", she asked uneasily.

"We are fine", Elena replied. "What about you? You weren't answering any texts or calls, completely ignoring us", she accused.

"No… it's… it's not like that", Pearl stammered and tried to think of some lie to feed her best friends feeling guilty as hell from inside. "I lost my phone", she lied.

Before Elena or Bonnie could respond to her fib, Pearl's phone rang in her jeans pocket. Elena and Bonnie looked at her with slightly offended looks while Pearl looked utterly abashed.

"Oh I just… ", Pearl started but didn't know what else to say.

"What's wrong Pearl? What are you hiding", her olive-skinned friend quizzed looking deep in her eyes.

"Nothing", Pearl responded trying to sound believable but her face gave away everything. "I have to find Seth. Have to give his lunch money", she lied again and left before they could utter another word.

"What's wrong with her", Bonnie said confused.

"I don't know but there is something really serious or she won't act like this", Elena stated.

"The sexy suds car wash is tomorrow", Caroline announced to the two girls walking beside her. "The football team and the band have committed. Well, not all the band. Just the ones who could pull off the bikini… I want, in your face, sexy. I mean, it's a fund raiser, for god's sake", she said rolling her eyes.

"Unbelievable", Elena said shaking her head at Caroline. "It's like nothing happened".

"She's in denial", Bonnie responded also looking at Caroline who was back to her bubbly and chirpy self.

"Hey", Stefan joined them with his bag over his shoulder.

"Hey", Bonnie responded to his greeting. "You know, I gotta go. Be somewhere right now". Bonnie left leaving Stefan and Elena alone.

"I'm so sorry I haven't called", Stefan apologized to the tall beautiful brunette.

"No worries", Elena said nonchalantly. "I'll live".

"I was dealing with Damon", Stefan gave her the reason for his absence.

"And did you... deal with Damon?" she questioned.

"Yes", Stefan nodded. "Yeah".

"For four days?" she asked with a suspicious look on her face.

"You have every right to be upset with me", said Stefan. "But can I explain it all to you? Please", he said with a pleaded expression that Elena couldn't resist.

"Sure", she agreed with a sigh. "When…?"

"I gotta be home after school", he informed her. "But The Grill, around four o'clock?" he suggested.

"Ok", Elena nodded.

"Stefan, where is Damon?" Caroline asked the younger Salvatore casually as she approached the couple. "He has some serious apologizing to do".

"He's gone, Caroline", Stefan answered her simply.

"When is he coming back?" the blonde beauty inquired.

"He's not coming back", Stefan replied and Caroline became a bit upset at this. "I'm sorry", he added.

"This is a good thing, Caroline", Elena assured her friend.

"I know that", Caroline nodded staring in space.

* * *

Elena was in her bedroom writing in her diary. She wasn't feeling good after she had walked away from Stefan in the grill. He was hiding something from her and she wanted so badly to know him, his past, to know the truth that he was hiding. The meeting with that old man who said that he recognized Stefan from somewhere also made her more doubtful about her relationship with him.

Elena wanted to talk about all of this to her best friend but she was ignoring her completely and Elena didn't want to push her because she knew Pearl. She knew that Pearl would tell her everything when the time would be right and pressurizing her would only made the small framed girl more distant. But this couldn't stop the kind brunette to be worried about Pearl.

'_I tried. I want so much to make things right, but every instinct in my body is telling me to be careful. What you don't know can hurt you' _she wrote.

"You ok?" Jeremy walked inside Elena's room.

"Is Vicki in there?" Elena countered looking at young Gilbert.

"Don't answer a question with another question", Jeremy grinned. "Maybe", he added indistinctly. "What's wrong with you?"

"Well my best friend is ignoring me and I'm feeling miserable", she answered hugging her teddy bear.

"Well, you should go get something to eat", Jeremy smiled with a glint in his eyes.

Elena walked downstairs and heard cluttering of cutlery and sound of footsteps in the kitchen.

"Jenna? Jenna?" she called but no one answered. "Stefan?" she said shocked at seeing him working in the Gilbert kitchen. "What are you doing here?"

"Dinner", he replied. "Jeremy told me that Chicken Parmesan is one of your favorites, and I happen to be a good cook", he gloated. "The Italian roots demand it. I can even make my own homemade mozzarella. Only tonight, it is unfortunately store bought", he informed her putting the box on the counter. "Sorry".

"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish", she told him crossing her arms over her chest.

"You want to know me, right?" he asked. "Well, I figure if you're going to dump me, you should at least, um, know who you're dumping", he smiled. "So let's start with Katherine".

"Stefan... ", Elena began.

"She was... the most beautiful girl that I had ever met. She had this perfect olive skin. And she had this laugh", Stefan laughed a little. "It was ridiculous. I mean, her laugh made you laugh. And she was fun. She knew how to have a good time. But Katherine was also very impatient and entitled and selfish, and, um, impulsive", he added with seriousness and Elena listened to him intently. "Enter Silvia. She was the best friend in the world", he told Elena with a soft smile.

"Like Pearl", Elena interrupted.

"Very much like Pearl", Stefan said and for a second he got lost in the memory lane. He shook his head coming back to earth.

"Silvia was so simple, kind and always cared about others. She loved to read books and that's what had brought us close in the first place", he chuckled as he remembered his days with her. "She was shy and naive, exact opposite of Katherine but was equally stunning and beautiful".

"When Damon saw her, it was love at the first sight… he called her the perfect girl", he said after a pause. "They were so happy together but then things took a turn. I don't know. I do know that I did some things that...I'm not proud of. And my biggest regret... Is not being able to make it right before they died... I miss Katherine… I still wish for Silvia to be with me like she was always but... I'm no longer crippled by their loss", Stefan clarified.

"I'm an avid reader", he said further. "A huge Fitzgerald fan, "The Great Gatsby", his masterpiece. But I'm no snob. I love some good Grisham. I think Seinfeld is the best American television show for the past 50 years, but I love Lucy is all-time. "The loving cup" episode was the best, I think. Huge Scorsese fan. I can watch Taxi Driver over and over again", he informed her about himself.

"Here, let me", Elena smiled at him taking the knife from his hands and began to chop garlic.

"As far as music, it's pretty much across the board", he rambled on. "Um, Dylan, Hendrix, Patsy, Willie. A little Kanye. You know what? I even like that one Miley song". Elena smirked. "Easy".

"I didn't say anything", Elena laughed holding her hands up in defense. "Hey, this is for the garlic bread, right? Because I'm not eating garlic unless you agree to, too".

"Are you kidding? I love garlic".

"Ow! Ahh", Elena yelped as she accidentally sliced her finger.

"You ok?" he walked to her, concerned.

"Yeah… Think so", Elena responded and made for the sink to wash off the blood.

Meanwhile Stefan lifted his small finger and saw the crimson liquid. The sight of blood mingled with its sweet smell made Stefan hungry for human blood. He could feel his gums hurting as his fangs came out and veins started protruding under his eyes.

"Your face... ", Elena saw his demonic face in the kitchen window. She turned around to face him but Stefan turned away from her, hiding his true identity.

"I-I, uh, I think I got something in my eye", he closed his eyes trying to resist the temptation.

"Stefan. Hey. Stefan!" she reached him and tried to turn him around. Stefan faced her after a few seconds with a gentle smile, his face restored back to its human form.

"Um, I think that my paranoia has turned into full-blown hallucinations", Elena laughed.

"Part of your charm", Stefan told her as he leaned closer to her. He was a little hesitant to kiss the tall brunette but she took the matter in her hands and kissed him first.

* * *

Pearl arrived at the car wash in her navy blue tank top and knee-length denim shorts. Wearing bikini was never her comfort zone and she was shy in showing much of her skin.

"Hey", Pearl said awkwardly as she approached Bonnie. She was reluctant on coming at the event because of the fear of facing her friends but she knew she couldn't hide in her house forever.

"Hey", Bonnie smiled gently at Pearl. Pearl felt relieved as Bonnie didn't ask her any questions. She didn't want to lie to her friends anymore.

"Pearl where is your two-piece?" Caroline asked. Bonnie smirked knowingly.

"Well it is two-piece", she pressed motioning at her clothes.

"You know what I mean", Caroline rolled her eyes at Pearl's statement. "How many people do I have to tell that the event is called 'sexy studs'", Caroline huffed. "You are supposed to wear a bikini".

"Well I am always a rebellious one", Pearl grinned at her blonde friend. Caroline shook her head at Pearl's defiance and left.

Pearl grinned at Bonnie and the olive-skinned beauty laughed in return.

Both girls joined Matt who was washing a car. They helped him in the task and Pearl caught him staring longingly at Elena and Stefan who were displaying their affections for each other in public. The petite girl nudged Bonnie bringing her attention to Matt.

"uh-uh, no", Bonnie said shaking her head. "None of that tortured pining stuff".

"I'm just observing", Matt responded.

"Liar", Pearl teased him and received an evil glare in return.

Another car stopped beside them and Bonnie looked around to find someone for doing the job. She saw Tiki standing on the side doing nothing.

"Tiki… this one's yours", Bonnie said to her.

"Why do I always get the homely ones?" Tiki complained. "Just to be clear, your car's a p.o.s", she said rudely. "I mean, we can wash it, but it's still a p.o.s".

"You don't have to be rude", Bonnie said sternly.

"Rude is uglying up the road with that junk", Tiki replied with a mean tone. She grabbed the hose to fill the bucket.

Bonnie got angry and imagined water splashing on Tiki's face. Suddenly the hose got out of control drenching Tiki in the flooding water. Pearl looked at the scene and laughed so hard that her sides began to ache. Matt joined her too while Bonnie was rooted to the spot utterly surprised.

"Whoa! What the hell?" Tiki cursed.

"Wet and wild, Tik", Matt laughed.

Pearl left Bonnie and Matt's side as they continued to wash the cars. She was finding it hard to control her laughter after Tiki's incident and every time she saw the girl's face her stifled laughs escape earning a dirty look from Tiki.

"Going somewhere?" Pearl turned around and saw Elena.

"Nope just looking around", she replied with an uneasy smile.

"You are avoiding me", Elena stated giving Pearl a look.

"No it's just…. ", Pearl started. "Oh God I can't do this anymore", she exclaimed.

"What happened, Pearl?" Elena asked worriedly.

"Its not my secret to tell Lena so please just don't ask me…. ", Pearl begged. "I am already feeling guilty as hell and when you give me these looks… ", she added referring to the upset look on her beautiful face. "It just made me want to disappear in the ground".

"I am sorry", Pearl said and hugged Elena. "Can the things become normal between us?" she asked facing her. "I promise I'll tell you everything in three days. Until then can we put this issue aside".

"Okay", Elena agreed sensing her friend's distress.

"Hey, we're out of towels and those shimmy things", Elena called to the blonde beauty who was passing by.

"I'll go get some more", Caroline said and left.

* * *

Caroline was walking through the school hallways to retrieve few towels. She opened a locker but got a weird feeling like someone was watching her. She took out the towels. She turned around and saw a black shadow. She walked towards it with slow steps as she heard voices calling for her help.

"Caroline. Caroline, help me. Caroline. Help me. Help me", she heard Damon's voice.

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and jumped backwards.

"Hey Care, it's me", Pearl told the freaked out girl. "You okay", she questioned showing her concern.

Caroline looked here and there with a terrified look on her face.

"Care", Pearl said grabbing her shoulders to gain her attention. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I saw a shadow… there was this voice", Caroline said vaguely gazing in her surroundings.

"What voice?"

"It was like Damon's voice… like he was calling for help", the blonde replied staring confusedly at Pearl. "Must be my imagination… ".

"Hmm", Pearl nodded trying to hide her fear. "Let's go", she added taking the towels from her hands.

Pearl and Caroline left the school building together. Caroline parted ways with the black-haired beauty as she was in the charge of taking care of things at the car wash. Pearl joined Bonnie and helped her in washing the cars, keeping a close watch on the Forbes girl. Pearl knew that Damon was stronger because of human blood and he would do everything in his control to escape. It could be possible that he was trying to lure Caroline.

* * *

"That will be $20", Pearl said to the driver of the car. The guy paid her and left. As Pearl's eyes darted around she saw Elena talking to a dark-skinned old man. She saw Matt, Seth, Tyler and all the familiar faces but there wasn't a glimpse of those blonde locks that she was worried about.

Pearl got anxious and her eyes scanned the whole place but there was no sign of Caroline. It seemed like Damon plan had worked. But she wouldn't let him hurt her friends. She searched for Stefan but couldn't find him. She knew that the more time she would waste, the more would be Caroline's life at risk. So Pearl drove in her car to the Salvatore Boarding house.

* * *

"Your car was done an hour ago", Elena informed Jenna.

"You're saying that out loud why?" Jenna questioned suspiciously.

"Hi. Elena, right?" Logan came to them and Jenna got a disgusted look on her pretty face at his sight. "I think I met you once when you were 9", he told Elena.

"Your emotional maturity level when we were together", Jenna responded.

"Ouch", he mocked a hurt look putting his hand over his heart. "Here I thought we were making progress", he stared at Jenna.

"Is he enough in your good graces that I can ask him for a favor?" Elena directed at Jenna.

"If I do her a favor, will I get back in your good graces?" Logan questioned also looking at Jenna with a hopeful look in his eyes.

"Uh, a very reluctant maybe to both", Jenna laughed.

"Done", said Logan. "Wait. One condition. Dinner, tonight, your house", he grinned at Jenna.

"Fine", Jenna agreed. "But you're eating leftovers", she added.

"Ooh", Logan sighed rubbing his stomach. "What do you need?" he questioned.

"Do you have access to old news stories, say, fifties?" Elena responded with a question.

"Yeah, at the station", he nodded. "Between the archives and the Internet, we pretty much have everything", he smiled at her.

"I have this report way past due. It'd be a life saver", Elena looked expectantly at him.

"Heading there now", he informed her. "Let's go".

"If anyone asks, you don't know where I went", Elena turned to Jenna. "I don't want Caroline to know that I left".

* * *

Pearl's car skidded to a halt outside the boarding house and she hurriedly got out of it without locking it. She sprinted to the door and found it already opened. She rushed inside calling for Zach. She found him in the hallway leading out of the living room.

"Pearl…. what happened", he asked anxiously seeing the frantic girl.

"Did Caroline come here… ", she asked breathlessly.

"No I didn't see her… why? What happened?" he questioned.

"Where is Damon? He was calling her", she moved forwards hoping to catch a glimpse of blonde locks.

"It's dangerous, Pearl", Zach warned. "You stay here I'll see".

"No I am coming.. Hurry up", Pearl cried.

Both of them rushed to the Salvatore's cellar and Pearl saw Caroline unlocking the door.

"Care", Pearl shouted while Zach ran to the blonde girl.

"No! No!" he yelled and tried to shut the door preventing Damon from escaping.

Caroline came out of her trance and ran. She tried to drag Pearl with her but the petite girl didn't want to leave Zach alone.

"Get out of here, Pearl. Run! Run!" Zach hollered.

Pearl followed his orders and ran. She glanced backwards one last time and saw Damon snapping Zach's neck and throwing him aside.

"Zach", Pearl shouted; stopping in her tracks. This brought Damon's attention to her but before he could do any damage Caroline grabbed Pearl's hand yanked her with her.

Both girls climbed the steps with a weak Damon chasing them. He grabbed Caroline's leg and jerked her down. Pearl stomped on his hands to loosen his grip.

They ran as fast as they could and reached the door. Pearl and Caroline opened the door and got out in the sunlight. Pearl glanced at Damon one last time and saw his skin sizzling in the bright sunlight. Then he disappeared behind the closed door.

* * *

At the station Elena was looking at the footage of an incident that happened in 1953 at Salvatore's boarding house finally very close to find the hidden secret that was going to change her life.

"This is Franklin Fell reporting to you from the Salvatore Boarding House, where a brutal animal attack has ended in tragedy. Ok, they're bringing out the bodies. See if you can get closer. Is that the nephew?" she heard the news guy said.

As the camera zoomed in Elena's breath hitched in her chest as she saw none other than Stefan Salvatore standing in the background looking exactly the same… like he hadn't aged a day since then.

* * *

Pearl dropped Caroline at her home but none of them talked about their near death experience. Caroline was confused about everything that happened but Pearl didn't reply to any of her questions with truth and only gave vague answers or saying 'I don't know', once again lying to the ones she loved.

Pearl drove to her home worn out from crying. Zach was like a family to her, a father figure in her life that she lacked. She had loved to spend time with him, listening to his stories about his time with Eric- her father. She always felt that the hole her father's death had left in her heart was filled to some extent by Zach Salvatore but now he was dead. What was she going to tell her mother….

It seemed to Pearl like she had lost her father again and she would never forgive the elder Salvatore for taking the life of her someone who was a family to her. She had realized how wrong she was when she thought that dark times were finally going to be over. She had realized it was just the beginning… beginning of lies…. Beginning of deaths and darkness.

* * *

Stefan reached the Salvatore house after a call from Pearl who told her about Damon escaping the cellar and killing Zach. She was crying all the time as she told about Zach's death to the younger Salvatore.

Stefan searched the house but found it empty, there was no sign of Damon. He went to the cellar in the hope that there might be some chance that he could save Zach using his blood, that may be Zach had a few breaths left. But as he walked in to the dingy cellar and saw Zach's lifeless body, he realized the man was long gone… that Damon was again destroying his chance of happiness in this town.

A surge of anger erupted inside him and he grabbed a stake to finally kill the monster that was responsible for his miserable life. He rushed to the front door and opened it finding Elena at his doorstep.

"What are you?" She directed at him with a firm look on her face.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Here is my question section for you guys….**

**Do you guys want me to write the whole episode or only the important parts. What do you guys think about Pearl's relationship with Seth and Angela?**

**And the most important question is Team Damon or Team Klaus? who you want Pearl to be with... **

**Tell me how I can improve and if you have any ideas, suggestions feel free to share. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Any questions you guys have feel free to ask. if there is anything special you want in the story you can always share...**


	7. Chapter : 7

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-**

**Hey everyone… another chapter is here especially for everyone who is following Pearl in her journey so far. A big thanks to those who have fav or alert the story. **

**Thanks alotttt to Chanelle213, vampiregleek1, busybeekisses19 and bronzelove for their reviews. It really means a lot to me.**

**Thanks for 'anonymous' for your awesome review full with ideas. I really love them. I promise you I won't bring Haley anywhere near Klaus as I am too not a big fan of hers;-) As for Pearl and Rebecca relation, I also have planned exactly what you have suggested. Thanks alottttttttttt for liking Pearl. **

**Thanks a lot for liking the story and I hope you will like this chapter too.**

LOST GIRLS

FLASHBACK

_Mystic Falls 1864_

_It was a bright sunny morning in Mystic Falls. A calm and quiet atmosphere was surrounding the Norman's residence which was surrounded by beautiful green grounds. Silvia was in her father's study organizing it while Stefan was seated on a table, looking at her immersed in working around the place, with a smile on his face._

"_Mr. Salvatore was telling father about the arrival of some guests today", Silvia Norman stated._

"_Yes…Miss Pierce. Her family died in a fire and she has no one. So, father has decided to offer her a place to stay", Stefan explained. Silvia nodded._

"_Has Damon written to you since he left?" Stefan questioned._

"_Yes, regularly", Silvia responded facing the younger Salvatore, fiddling with a beautiful ring in her ring finger._

"_So are you happy about being engaged to a Salvatore?" Stefan asked with a grin directed at his soon to be sister-in-law._

"_I am", she replied shyly as blush covered her soft cheeks. _

"_Damon is so fortunate to have you in his life", he said and Silvia smiled at him. "I must go Miss Pierce will be arriving soon", Stefan added and left. _

END OF FLASHBACK

"What are you?" Elena demanded from younger Salvatore who was standing on other side of the door.

"You know", he replied, his eyes fixed on the tall brunette.

"No, I don't", she roared, standing still in the door way.

"Yes, you do, or you wouldn't be here", Stefan said back.

"It's not possible", she said shaking her head in disbelief. "It can't be".

"Everything you know... And every belief that you have is about to change. Are you ready for that?" Stefan questioned. He knew that now he couldn't hide the truth anymore. Now he had to tell her everything.

"What are you?" she asked again, hoping him to contradict what she had in her mind.

"I'm a vampire", he said the dreaded words.

Elena remained stick to the spot gazing at the green-eyed Salvatore that she had grown to love. Then his words finally clicked in her mind and she started moving backwards.

"I shouldn't have come", she said fear clouding her beautiful features.

"No. Please", Stefan bellowed after her but she didn't listen to his cries.

Elena paced towards her car as fast as her long legs could manage. Just as she was about to open the car's door, Stefan appeared in front of her.

"How did you do that?" she asked, scared.

"Please don't be afraid of me", Stefan begged her.

"Let me go", she demanded angrily.

"No. Elena, there's things that you have to know and understand", Stefan tried to make her understand.

"Let me go!" she spat.

"Elena, please", he pleaded one last time but the tall brunette didn't respond to his pleads and quickly got in her car driving away from the Salvatore boarding house.

* * *

After escaping from the Salvatore's cellar Damon made straight for the cemetery. Quenching his thirst for human blood, he wiped away the blood smeared on his full lips with one of the stoner's sleeve and searched for their ids and anything else that could help in recognizing them. He plied them on a side after retrieving a phone from one of the victims' pocket. He punched a number waiting for his brother to pick the phone.

"Hello?" Stefan attended the call.

"I want my ring", Damon demanded

"Where are you?" Stefan questioned.

"I'm at the sizzler. I had the buffet", Damon replied wittily. "Where's my ring?" he asked as he grabbed an alcohol bottle and threw the entire liquid on the huddled bodies.

"I don't have it", Stefan lied. "Where are you? What have you done?"

"No, what have you done? You're the one that locked me in the basement and starved me, so whatever I've done, whoever I've sucked dry is on you, buddy", Damon put the blame on his brother very easily. He lighted a stick and then set fire on the discarded bodies.

"You're being careless", Stefan warned. "How many more animal attacks is this town gonna believe, huh?"

"I know how to cover my tracks, Stefan", Damon replied looking at the flames. "Where's my ring?" he quizzed, annoyed.

"I gave it to Zach to hide", Stefan responded. "Probably shouldn't have killed him". Damon became quiet at Stefan's reply believing his fib for a second.

"... Ah, you almost got me", Damon smirked as he realized his brother was lying. "Where is it?" he demanded seriously.

"I'll get it back, but I need time… ".

"What, did you FedEx it to Rome?!" Damon said sarcastically. "Where is it? I want my ring, Stefan, or my next stop's Pearl's or Elena's", he threatened his younger brother.

"I already want you dead", Stefan growled. "Don't give me another reason to make it happen".

"Don't give me another reason to rip you apart", Damon threatened.

"Yeah…? Is that gonna be before or after you get your ring back?" Stefan retorted.

"Just get it", Damon said after slight pause thinking about some smart retort but he could find none. He hung up the phone.

Damon made his way to one of the remaining bodies that was placed at a distance from others. He stooped down pouring alcohol on Vicki Donovan with a thought of discarding her in the roaring flames but she woke up.

"You just don't wanna die, do you?" he smirked at her.

* * *

The younger Salvatore was torn between the two girls' safety not knowing who needed more of his protection. He couldn't trust Damon because he had proved Stefan that he shouldn't be trusted. Only one solution came to his mind and he dialed Pearl's number.

"Hello Stefan", Pearl said groggily in the phone.

"Pearl is your mother home?" Stefan asked her urgently.

"No why do you ask… ", she questioned with worry.

"I want you and Seth at Elena's place", Stefan told her. "Damon had escaped and I can't get a hold of him. He is capable of everything. I am guarding Elena's house and I want you there too", he stated.

"But what am I going to say to Elena?"

"She already knows the truth", Stefan said gravely and hung up.

Pearl rushed to her brother's room banging her fist on the hard wood. After a few minutes of knocking she heard the clicking sound and the door opened revealing a sleepy Seth in his loose t-shirt and boxers.

"Where is the fire?" he croaked, rubbing his eyes.

"Elena called me… she wanted to talk about something so we have to leave", Pearl lied through her teeth.

"At this time of night", Seth questioned with raised eyebrows. "You go I'll tell mum", he responded.

"I am not going alone. I want you to come with me", she pressed impatiently.

"Pearl you do know it's the middle of the night", Seth asked like Pearl had gone nuts.

"Yes I know… I don't feel like driving so I want you to come with me. And I also don't want you to be alone in the house so you are staying at Elena's for the night", she explained.

"It's touching, Pearl but I can take care of myself", he rolled his eyes.

"Don't argue, okay… just come", she ordered in her elder sister voice ending Seth's arguments.

"You are crazy you know that right", he shook his head sleepily.

"Hey", Pearl moved forward pushing the door open as Seth was about to close it.

"Let me get dressed, Pearl. You don't want me to go there in my boxers", he said, irritation clear on his face. She reacted with an eye roll.

Pearl moved downstairs and grabbed her car keys. She didn't bother to change her sleeveless loose tank top and baggy trousers. The door bell of the Norman's residence rang and Pearl made her way to the door thinking her mother might have returned. What lie she was going to fed her now. It's like her life was itself a big lie.

She opened the door and saw that it wasn't her mother but the elder Salvatore, who was standing there with a smirk etched on his face. His sight made Pearl blood boil with anger as she remembered what he had done.

"Hey Pearl", he purred, his eyes roaming around her small frame.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she spat with all the hatred she could muster in those seven words.

"Come to say hello to my favorite girl in Mystic Falls", he replied coolly.

"Too bad you can't come inside", she mocked a sad expression. Pearl had read in her ancestor's journal that the vampires couldn't get inside the house unless they are invited in.

"Oh you think so", he responded with a challenging tone and stepped inside the house.

Pearl got a astounded expression on her face and moved backwards as Damon took slow steps towards her with his eyes fixed on her like a lion's gaze on its prey. Pearl's back collided with the wall. She looked up in his crystal-blue orbs that were swarming with passion while he looked down in her dark-brown ones.

"I am not gonna kill you", he said huskily moving so close that she could feel his breath fanning her face. He rested his one hand on the wall behind Pearl while he extended the other one grazing her cheeks.

"Don't touch me", she slapped his hand away.

"Either you are so brave or so stupid", he said with a deep voice.

Pearl heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Suddenly there was a brush of wind and Damon was gone.

"What are you doing glued to the wall", Seth asked now fully dressed and awake.

"Nothing… let's go", she told him and they left.

The Norman siblings arrived at the Gilbert's residence in the dead of night. Pearl had called Elena informing her about coming. Jenna was startled to see both of them arriving at Gilbert's residence so late but Pearl said that she and Elena, just the two of them, had planned a slumber party and she couldn't leave Seth alone in the house as their mother had a late night shift at the hospital- lying once again. Seth stayed in the spare bedroom and him and Jeremy played games and watched movies enjoying their guys' night.

While in Elena's bedroom the air was utterly different— sad and depressing. Neither Pearl nor Elena slept the whole night just like their siblings but they weren't having fun. Both girls told each other how they had found out the grave truth about Salvatores. As morning approached Pearl and Seth left for their home after having breakfast. Elena left to meet with Stefan to hear him out.

* * *

After trashing the entire boarding house in search for his day-light ring, Damon walked in the living room with a cell phone held against his ear after he had dialed Stefan's number. It went straight to voicemail.

"Where are you, Stefan? I'm trapped at the house, and I'm getting really bored and really impatient, and I don't do bored and impatient. Bring me my ring", he disconnected the call with an annoyed look on his face. "Damn it", he growled pouring himself a glass of his favorite drink.

Damon's eyes fell on Vicki Donovan who was on the couch unconscious.

"Aw, don't get blood on the couch!" Damon grumbled.

He stalked to her and sat on the table beside the couch. He tilted her head to see the bite mark that he had given.

"I got you good, didn't I?" he complimented his own fangs work but receive no answer from Vicki.

"Well, you're not gonna be any fun today", he said after taking a swig from the glass. He got a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm so gonna regret this", he added with a smirked.

Damon slit open his wrist with his sharp fangs. The crimson liquid flowed down from the wound. He put his wrist close to Vicki's mouth forcing her to drink his blood. At first she struggled but then she gave in drinking from his wrist hungrily.

"Drink up. Drink it up", Damon encouraged her. "Don't drip. There you go. Good girl. That's it".

* * *

"Stop here", Stefan said to Elena as they drove through the woods in Elena's car.

"What are we doing here?" Elena asked. She was trying to act fearless but she was scared at being alone with Stefan, not knowing when he would turn in his true self.

Stefan got out of the car while Elena followed the suit leaving the car's door unlock so that she could escape if the younger Salvatore's lost his control, giving in to his temptation for human blood.

"I want to show you something", Stefan walked deeper in the woods.

"In the middle of nowhere…?" Elena followed him, looking around at the grass and leaf covered ground.

"This... ", Stefan started, as he indicated his surroundings, "didn't used to be nowhere. Used to be my home… ".

"It looks so... ", Elena trailed off trying to find some suitable words that didn't sound impolite.

"Old?" Stefan suggested looking at her and she nodded. "It's because they are".

"Wait. How long have you... ", she began.

"I've been 17 years old since 1864", Stefan answered her incomplete question.

"Oh, my god", Elena said truly stunned.

"You said you wanted to know. I'm not gonna hold anything back", Stefan gazed backwards at her. "Half a century before the boarding house was even built, this was my family's home", Stefan informed her. "Damon and I... We were both born here. The Salvatore brothers, best friends… ".

FLASH BACK

_MYSTIC FALLS 1864_

_Damon ran out of the house a football in his hands with Stefan at his tail. They were throwing the ball back and forth enjoying and having fun._

"_Wait. Where did you learn this game?" Stefan questioned breathlessly as he passed the ball to his elder brother._

"_Camp outside Atlanta… One of the officers picked it up at Harvard", Damon informed Stefan. "Catch"._

"_Wait a minute. Wait a minute", Stefan called as he held his sides laughing hysterically. Damon came at him and playfully attacked him trying to snatch the ball. "What are the rules? What are the rules?" he exclaimed._

"_Who needs rules?" Katherine announced coming out of the house. "Mind if I join you?" she directed a stunning smile at both brothers._

"_Uh, well, you could, uh- you could get hurt. My brother likes to play rough", Stefan hesitated._

_Before Katherine could respond a pure delightful look came at Stefan's face._

"_Livia", he said looking at the approaching stunning girl._

_Damon also turned staring at his breath-taking fiancée walking towards them with her dark black hairs bouncing in the slow breeze._

"_Come play with us", Stefan invited his best friend while Damon just stared at her with a mesmerized look on his handsome face._

"_My apologies", she said softly. "I have to talk to Mr. Salvatore"._

_She made for the house while Damon had his eyes fixed on her retreating form._

"_Lets play", Katherine said grabbing the ball from Stefan and ran wanting to be chased by both of them._

"_You chase your girl", Damon gestured towards Katherine, "I'll chase mine". He smirked at his green eyes brother and sprinted to the house._

END OF FLASHBACK

"You knew Katherine in 1864?" the shock was clear on Elena's face. "Damon made it seem like... ".

"Damon was trying to make you think that... I was still heartbroken", Stefan said back. "He saw that I was happy with you, and he has no one at his side so he wanted to ruin it".

"Because you ruined his chance with Silvia", Elena pointed out.

"I wasn't the one who ruined his chance with her", Stefan told her solemnly.

FLASH BACK

_Stefan and Katherine were running through the beautifully trimmed garden maze. Katherine reached a marble statue and both of them stopped running._

"_Ha! I win", she said with a musical laugh. "What's my prize?"_

_They both heard footsteps behind them and turned to see the blue eyed Salvatore approaching them._

"_Damon", Stefan smiled at his brother. "They extended your leave?" he manly hugged his brother. _

"_I was simply having too much fun to return to battle", the elder Salvatore replied._

"_Your commitment to the confederacy is inspiring", Stefan smirked._

"_Well, this works out wonderfully for me", Katherine told them looking between bothers with a strange glint in her eyes._

"_How's that, Miss Katherine?" Damon directed at her with a gentle smile._

"_Now I'll have both of you here to keep me entertained", she responded._

"_You two should continue your game I have to meet Silvia", Damon told and left. None of the brothers saw the jealous look on Katherine's face. _

_Damon entered the Norman's place and made straight for the library where he was sure he would find his beautiful fiancée._

_He saw her standing beside a table with her back facing him arranging a few books. He reached her quietly not to alert the beauty and snaked his arms around her small waist. She gasped at the sudden intrusion and turned quickly._

"_Damon", Silvia said clearly delighted on seeing him there._

"_Hello", he smiled at her wiggling his eyebrows._

"_What are you doing here?" she questioned. Damon's arms were still around her._

"_It was difficult to spend a single moment without the girl I am so hopelessly in love", Damon grinned caressing her rosy cheeks lovingly._

"_And who that girl is, Mr. Salvatore", Silvia asked innocently with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Damon leaned closer to her._

"_You", Damon whispered against her lips and then kissed her passionately. _

END OF FLASHBACK

"Before the ball Silvia walked in on Damon and Katherine and saw them kissing. She broke their engagement and went to the ball with another guy at the original Lockwood mansion.", Stefan got a dark look on his face as he told Elena about his past. Both of them walked around the ruins.

"The first founder's party... ", Elena asked. "Where you signed the registry… ".

Stefan nodded.

"I didn't care that my brother was upset. Didn't even listen to him when he repeatedly tried to explain things to me… I was so much happy on escorting Katherine to the ball. I didn't care because I have got what I wanted. I only knew that I wanted her", Stefan with a guilty look. "But turns out that night... Katherine was with him, too".

"So Damon cheated on Silvia with Katherine", Elena pried, creasing her eyebrows.

"That's the thing…. Damon wasn't the one who was unfaithful", Stefan responded.

FLASH BACK

_Stefan was in Katherine's room and both of them were kissing each other with great passion. Katherine was the one who broke the kiss moving backwards slightly her brown locks falling on her beautiful face._

"_I will love you forever", Stefan promised taking her beautiful face in his hands._

"_Forever is a very long time, you know", Katherine responded leaning towards his touch._

"_Not long enough", Stefan countered._

_What happened next made the younger Salvatore struck with fear. He saw the beautiful face of the girl transforming in to a devil. Her eyes became red and veins started forming under them. Her long sharp teeth pierced Stefan's skin drinking his blood and then he fainted._

_When Stefan woke up the next morning he saw Katherine standing in front of the mirror with her handmaiden Emily helping her in getting dressed._

"_Good morning", she greeted him. Her breath hitched as Emily tightened the strings of her corset. "Clear the room, please", she waved her away. _

"_You're upset", she strutted towards the bed._

"_Your face, it was like a demon", Stefan trying to escape. "Get away from me. Get away", he exclaimed._

"_It doesn't change the way you feel about me. You will not tell anyone", Katherine compelled him. "We will go on exactly as we have"._

"_Yes. We will go on", he repeated her exact words, senselessly._

"_You have no idea of the future I have planned for us, Stefan- You, me, and Damon. No rules", she gushed with an evil smirk on her beautiful face. "And no Silvia", she added._

END OF FLASHBACK

"She could control my mind; and Damon's. She compelled each of us to keep the secret from the other. She wanted both of us, so she compelled Damon to kiss her so that Silvia broke up with him. She wanted three of us to be together. Forever… Didn't work out that way, but... Damon and I, looks like we're stuck with each other... Like it or not", Stefan stooped down pulling out a ring from ruins.

"Is that Damon's ring?" Elena questioned looking closely.

"I took it from him, but I have to give it back", Stefan told her.

"No, don't, Stefan", Elena exclaimed. "Keep it hidden".

"Elena, if I don't give it to him, he'll retaliate in the only way that he knows he can hurt me", Stefan replied seriously.

"And how is that?" she quizzed.

"By hurting you", Stefan reacted looking deep in her eyes.

* * *

The loud music could be heard in the surroundings of the Salvatore of house. Inside the house Vicki was dancing like crazy. Damon was also dancing in his black un-buttoned shirt with a whiskey bottle in his hands.

"I am so over Tyler, so over him", Vicki said bursting with energy due to Damon's blood. "I knew from the beginning that I was only a piece of ass to him, but I thought maybe if he got to know me better, he might see something more. But no. Now, Jeremy, on the other hand, that's all he's ever seen in me is something more, and i like that", she babbled on.

"Jeremy, huh…?" Damon became attentive. "Elena's brother?"

"Yeah. Yeah", Vicki answered breathlessly. "So, Elena used to date my brother, and they were always together, so Jeremy would always be hanging around and crushing on me and- Hey, why don't you have a girlfriend? You're, like, totally cool and so hot", she said looking at Damon.

"I know… but I guess I am not hot enough for someone", Damon shrugged, moving towards her.

"Who", Vicki asked halting her moments for a second but Damon didn't reply. "Don't you wanna be in love?" she questioned.

"I've been in love. It's painful and pointless and overrated", Damon responded offhandedly.

"Except when it isn't", Vicki retorted.

"No more talking", Damon interrupted her. "Let's dance".

Damon and Vicki were now swaying to a slow song extremely close to each other.

"My mom spends most of her time in Virginia beach with Pete. He drives trucks. I don't remember my dad, but from what I gather, he's not worth remembering", she sniffed with tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Your life is so pathetic", Damon pointed out in an uncaring manner.

"Yeah… I mean, I'm the screwed-up one", she declared. "Matt's got it so easy. He's the golden boy. I mean, he's gonna get a football scholarship and marry Elena and have a lawn mower and some babies, and when i think of my future, I just come up blank".

"You are so damaged", Damon said facing her while wiping her tears off with his hands.

"Yep", Vicki admitted nodding her head.

"I mean, you don't have one hint of self-esteem", Damon added leaning close, his forehead touching hers.

"Nope, none… ".

"I think I know what can help you", Damon told her.

"So what's that?" she asked, clueless.

"Death", Damon snapped her neck casually. She was dead before she hit the ground.

* * *

"I'm Coming…!" Jeremy hollered as the doorbell was ringing continuously. He opened the door and found Vicki standing on the other side.

"Hey", she greeted moving quickly inside the house. "The sun is killing me. My eyes are on fire".

"Where have you been?" Jeremy asked following her as she swiftly moved around the house.

"It's good", she answered and walked towards him. "Everything's good", she added and kissed him.

"Did something happen?" he directed at her while Vicki was moving around the kitchen searching for anything that might satisfy her hunger.

"I'm hungry", she told him ignoring his question. "What do you got to eat?"

"You're high?" Jeremy concluded seeing her restless state. "Vicki, it's the middle of the day".

"Could you just not talk so loud?" she said with a raised voice. "My head, it hurts", she pressed her head with her palms. "I need quiet".

Jeremy dialed Matt's number and told him about Vicki's condition. Next he called his best friend Seth and asking for his help too. Pearl and Seth arrived at the same time when Matt did and the three of them got inside the house.

"Where is she?" Matt asked, concerned for his sister.

"Come this way", Jeremy guided and the three of them followed him. They reached the kitchen and saw Vicki sitting in a corner drinking sprite like she hadn't drink anything for days.

"What's she on?" Matt asked moving towards his sister.

"I-I don't know", Jeremy replied.

"Seemed like something very strong… look at her condition", Pearl gestured towards her.

"Hey, Vic. How you doin'?" Matt bent down to Vicki's level and questioned her gently.

"Not good, Mattie", Vicki responded with a cracked voice. "It hurts".

"Ok, where's it hurt?" he further said.

"My gums… My jaw hurts. My gum-there's something in my gums, and it hurts", Vicki said close to tears.

"Should we call a doctor", Seth piped up worried about his friend's girlfriend condition.

"No", Vicki shouted. "Just leave me alone".

"Come on, Vic. Don't be like that", Matt smiled at her. "Let's get you home".

"Just turn it off!" Vicki bellowed putting her hands on her ears to shut their voices as her senses were heightened.

"Turn what off?" Jeremy was clearly worriedly.

"The talking, the chatter, just turn it off", Vicki yelled moving out of the kitchen.

"I think we should call a doctor… she has gone crazy", Pearl mumbled to Seth who passed her a look.

Vicki passed through the living room and saw the television was turned on and Logan Fell was reporting from Mystic falls old cemetery.

"...horribly. 3 bodies were found dead in what is believed to be a drug deal gone awry. The bodies have yet to be identified. They were discovered earlier today over at the old Mystic Falls cemetery", he reported.

"That's where we were last night", Jeremy told everyone.

"What happened, Vic?" Matt inquired staring at his sister who had her gaze fixed on the television.

"..homicide, and are fast under way looking for suspects. They're asking anyone with information... ",

"I'm calling the cops", Matt informed taking out his phone.

"No. Don't", Vicki stopped him.

"What happened after I left last night, Vick?" Jeremy demanded.

A sudden anger erupted inside the blonde girl and she pushed Jeremy with her increased strength. The younger Gilbert fell on the couch behind him. Pearl and Seth quickly moved towards him.

"You okay, Jer", Pearl asked anxiously. Seth and Pearl supported Jeremy as he stood up.

"I'm fine. I am fine", he spoke.

"Damn, Vick", Matt angered at his sister.

"What's going on?" Elena entered the house with Stefan right behind her.

"She's really messed up", Matt informed them pointing at Vicki.

"Elena, back up…", Stefan directed at Elena for her safety. "Vicki, look at me", he took her face in his hands and stared at her pupils. "Focus. You're gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine", he assured. "Guys, take her up to bed. Shut the blinds. She's gonna be ok. Come on. Come on", he said urgently. Matt, Jeremy and Seth took the blonde upstairs.

"You know what's wrong with her?" Pearl directed at Stefan.

"Yeah", Stefan nodded.

"What is it?" Elena inquired.

"She's transitioning", Stefan told looking between them.

"Transitioning to what?" Elena questioned clueless, creasing her eyes.

"You gotta be kidding me", Pearl gaped as she understood what Stefan meant. "She is turning into a vampire".

"Damon must have gotten to her. She's new. She hasn't completed her transformation yet", Stefan informed.

"H-how does she do that?" Elena asked horror-struck.

"She has to feed on human blood", Stefan answered.

"And what if she doesn't?" Elena quizzed.

"She'll die", Stefan said with sorrow. "She may only have a few hours".

"They are upstairs with her… we should warn them what if she hurt them", Pearl said running towards the stairs.

"It's ok", Stefan said stopping her. "She doesn't know what's happening to her yet".

"So when is she gonna know?" Elena questioned.

"Right now, she doesn't remember anything. A part of her is still human, but slowly, the deeper she gets into the transition, the memories will start to come back, and then she'll know she has to make the choice".

"The same choice you made?" Elena looked up at him.

"Vick. Vicki!" Matt rushed downstairs with Seth and Jeremy.

"She was fine, and then she just— she just freaked out", Jeremy said bothered by her actions.

"I'm gonna go look for her", Matt announced. "Call me if you hear anything". He left.

"I should also go… look for her", Stefan presented his help.

"I am coming with you", Jeremy piped up.

"Me too", Seth volunteered.

"No okay… none of you is going", Pearl uttered.

"Now is not the time to act bossy, Pearl", Seth snapped at his sister. She glared at Seth and he shut his mouth.

"Listen I'll go with Stefan… you guys stay here. May be she returns. Then call us", Pearl presented her idea.

"No Pearl I can't take you", Stefan refused.

"I am not asking for your permission Stefan", she directed at him with a stern face.

"I am coming too", Elena added not wanting for her friend to go alone with a vampire.

"I'll be fine, Elena. Just stay here and keep an eye on these two", she looked at Seth and Jeremy.

"Okay…Take care", Elena patted Pearl's back.

* * *

Pearl arrived with Stefan at the old cemetery in his car. It was night time and Pearl was finding it hard to find her way in pure darkness but Stefan had no problem because of his vampire sight.

"Are you sure she is here", Pearl questioned, staring at his face which she could barely make out in the darkness.

"Yeah I can track her", Stefan replied still walking.

"How…? Do you have some antenna sort of thing to track the transitioning vamps", she questioned casually. He didn't answer her as they finally found what they had been looking for.

"Vicki", Stefan ran to her while Pearl walked with slow steps keeping her distance.

"I'm starting to remember things, what he is, what he said", she cried. "I remember you. The hospital, the-the rooftop, it's all coming back", she sobbed.

"I'm so sorry", Stefan apologized. "Damon had no right to do this to you".

"He said that I need to feed", Vicki remembered. "What will happen if I don't?" she looked at Stefan in the eyes.

"You'll fade quickly...", Stefan replied mournfully. "And then it'll all just be over".

"I'll be dead", Vicki choked on her words.

Pearl's heart clenched for Vicki. Tears brimmed in her eyes seeing her helpless condition. She moved towards Vicki not caring at all that she was turning into a blood sucking monster and could attack her any second. Right now all she cared about is Vicki's grief. Vicki needed support and comfort and Pearl wouldn't back down from giving her what she needed. Pearl stooped down to her Vicki's level.

"Hey Vick", she smiled gently at Vicki. "Everything will be fine… ".

"I don't want this", Vicki cried looking at Pearl and then at Stefan.

"I know. It'll be ok. You're gonna be ok. I can help you", Stefan assured her.

"Is it better? Is it better? Will I be better? I wanna go home", she said breaking down in tears. "Will you take me home?" she added her voice cracking.

"Okay", Stefan said supporting Vicki. Pearl stood up from the ground.

Suddenly a gunshot disturbed the cemetery's silence and Stefan smell blood.

He looked at Pearl and saw a fearful look on her face as she clutched her stomach. She fell on the ground with a loud thud.

"Pearl", Stefan shouted but before he could to anything to her attacker he received a bullet too and followed Pearl's lead coming down to the ground.

All of a sudden the elder Salvatore arrived for the rescue. He came behind Logan Fell and bit into his neck ripping his flesh viciously. Then he quickly moved to the girl who had fallen on the ground.

"Pearl, Pearl", Damon shook her gently. Her eye lids were getting heavy and were almost closed.

"Ahhh… it's hurting", she said with a broken voice.

"Listen I am taking the bullet out… everything will be okay", Damon said and lifted her blue plain shirt that now has dark red blotches of blood. There was a bullet wound on her flat stomach. Damon tenderly took out a wooden bullet but her wound was bleeding profusely.

"Its wood", Damon announced to his younger brother who had removed a bullet from his chest with difficulty and joined his elder sibling. "They know… Pearl stay with me... ", he added to the girl who looked exactly like his old lover.

Unknown to the brothers Vicki Donovan had made her way to Logan's bleeding body and drank his blood, finally finishing the last step of her transition.

"No! No", Stefan shouted as he saw Vicki feeding on Logan's blood.

"I am sorry", she said and left.

Stefan wanted to follow the Donovan girl but he was more concerned about the wounded beauty laying on the dirty ground.

"We should take her to the hospital, Damon", he said urgently.

"How are we gonna explain her wound", Damon replied as he bit in to his wrist.

"What are you doing", Stefan snapped angrily.

"We don't have a choice. She has lost a lot of blood…my blood will heal her fast", he said and put his bleeding wrist in Pearl's mouth. Pearl struggled using a little strength she had to not drink the crimson liquid but Damon was persistent and stronger.

"Come on don't be so stubborn… this will heal you", he snapped and Pearl finally took a mouthful of his blood. Her eyelids got closed however Stefan and Damon were relieved as they heard her heart beats.

"Damon… ", Stefan warned his brother as Damon tried picking Pearl from the ground.

"You go find Vicki… I'll take her home", Damon said wiping Pearl's lips with his bare hands. Stefan was a little reluctant as he didn't trust his brother with Pearl. "We have to find her before she goes on a killing spree, right…. I won't hurt her", he added.

Stefan calculated his brother's words and expression thinking whether to believe him or not. Finally he decided to trust him.

"Take care of her", Stefan ordered his elder brother and left.

Damon picked an unconscious Pearl in his strong arms and put her in car's front seat. He came back and picked the Gilbert watch that he found near Logan's body, not knowing the purpose of the device.

* * *

Pearl stirred and Damon's crystal blue orbs traveled to her while driving. She moved a little and then groaned because of the pain.

"Easy there", Damon directed at the weak girl.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked managing a weak glare.

"I am taking you home", Damon answered not at all intimidated by the look.

"I have to take Seth home. My car is still at Elena's place. How am I going to explain everything, how I got this blood on me...", Pearl said words tumbling out from her mouth in haste.

"Take it easy", Damon stared at her and she beame quiet. The whole ride Pearl didn't utter another word sitting silently looking out of the window.

They reached outside Pearl's house. Damon got out of the car and opened Pearl's door. He extended his hand for her but Pearl didn't take it and managed to get out of the car without his help.

"Wait", Damon called as she started walking to her home. He could make out her shoulders getting tense and was sure she had an annoyed expression on her face. She stopped but didn't turn.

"Here, wear this", Damon zipped to her and took off his jacket passing it to her. "This will hide your bloody shirt", he added when she didn't accept it.

Pearl tried wearing it but gasped as the pressure was exerted on the not fully healed wound. Damon took it from her hands putting it around her shoulders. He zipped the jacket from the front and it covered Pearl's torso completely hiding her shirt completely.

Pearl walked to the front door and stumbled a little. Damon was at her side the next second. He took her waist steadying her. He tried supporting her while she walked with slow steps.

"I can walk myself", Pearl said sharply, removing his hands from her waist.

She unlocked the house door and Damon was right beside her to keep her from falling. She found that no one was home.

She made her way up the stairs with slow steps and entered her room with Damon. She sat on her bed and took off her vans and then Damon's jacket.

"Here", she stood up and passed him his black leather jacket that he always wore. Damon strolled to her taking his jacket back.

He remained standing looking at Pearl who was rummaging in the drawers of her bedside table and took out a few tablets. She poured herself a glass of water from the jug placed there. Pearl took a spot on her bed again. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room.

"If you are expecting a 'thanks'' than don't get your hopes high… you are wasting your time", she told him looking upwards. "Saving my life was very little as compared to what you did to Tanner, Vick and Zach", she choked on her tears but then wiped them roughly with her hands. "You should go", she added.

Damon nodded and moved to the door of her room but stopped there. He turned facing her.

"You think I am bad", Damon questioned with an unfathomable look on his face.

"I know you are bad", Pearl responded looking in his intense eyes.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-**

**So tell me what you guys think about Pearl and Damon scenes…. Like them or not? What about Silvia's relation with Damon..? Tell me your opinion.**

**Tell me how can I improve and if you have any ideas, suggestions feel free to share. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Any questions you guys have feel free to ask. **


	8. Chapter : 8

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:-**

**Hey guys… thanks for liking the previous chapter. I hope you guys will like this one too.**

**Thanks a lot to busybeekisses19, grapejuice101, bronzelove and hayden for reviewing.**

**Very special thanks to Kira Tsumi for sharing her awesome idea.**

**Thanks to everyone who have fav or alert the story or even read it so far.**

**And one more thing about the story: Katherine and Silvia met in 1864 for the first time and they didn't have any history.**

HAUNTED

It was late night and Tyler came out of the school gym after working out. He made his way towards his car, the night breeze ruffling his jet black hairs. Tyler unlocked the car and occupied the driver's seat.

"Hi, Ty", Vicki greeted him from the other seat.

"Whoa, Vicki..?" Tyler jumped a little, getting startled by her presence. "Everyone's looking for you!" he informed her.

"I know", she replied in a shaking voice, looking completely wrecked.

"What's wrong, Vick?" he asked kindly, concerned about her.

"I'm so cold", she reacted.

"You're on drugs!?" he bellowed. "Everyone thinks you're off on a bender".

"I wish", she whispered.

"What happened in those woods, Vicki?" Tyler pried. "Those kids that were killed… What did you see?"

"I'm so scared", she told him, breaking down in tears.

"Come here", he brought her closer to his muscled body. "It's okay. I'll take you home", he comforted the distressed girl.

"I can't control it", she said as the potent blood smell entered her nostrils. There was a sinister edge to Vicki's voice.

"Control what?" he questioned pulling the girl back, clearly oblivious of what Vicki meant.

"I am so hungry, Ty", she mumbled as she sniffed his neck. "And it won't go away", her grip tightened on the young Lockwood.

"What are you on?" Tyler questioned, trying to break Vicki's hold but she was stronger. "What drugs did you take?"

"I want it", she said. "I am so hungry, Ty".

"Okay look, I'll get you something to eat. Just sit back", he exclaimed as Vicki continued to move closer. "Look, let's just get you home, okay? Whoa! Vicki! What is wrong with you?!"

The door of the car opened and Tyler Lockwood fell out of his car. He was laying on his back trying to compose himself when Vicki attacked him launching herself on his big frame. She tilted his head, her face transforming and tried to bite him but she was yanked away by Stefan Salvatore.

"Aah! Let go of me!" she trashed in Stefan's arms.

Tyler scrambled to his feet and ran in the other direction to get away from the monster his ex-girlfriend was turned into but he was stopped by Damon Salvatore, who loved blocking people's way.

"What's going on here, Stefan?" Tyler asked looking backwards at Stefan. "What's wrong with her?"

"You don't talk", Damon said with an irritated face. He was already in bad mood and was in no mood to endure Tyler's nonsense.

"Screw you, dude", Tyler spat.

"'Dude' really..? 'dude'?" Damon smirked.

"Damon, don't!" Stefan said, sensing what his brother had in mind.

"Oh come on", Damon grumbled. "Who's gonna miss this idiot?"

Tyler took Damon's words to his heart and reacted by punching Damon right on the jaw. Damon glared at Tyler, looking real scary. A look of regret came at Tyler's face as Damon didn't seem a bit affected by the hit. Damon's grip tightened over his throat almost cutting his air supply- almost.

"Ooh! Don't you hurt him", Vicki shouted.

"Forget what you saw here tonight", Damon compelled Tyler. "None of us were here".

He threw Tyler towards the car on purpose as he collided with the vehicle falling back to the ground. Tyler looked around wondering how he landed on the concrete floor, the memory of three vampires completely erased from his brain.

* * *

It was early morning hours at the Norman's residence and Seth and Angela were having breakfast. There was a serious conversation going on between the two about Pearl.

"So Pearl hasn't come out from her room since she returned last night?" Angela asked from her younger child.

"Nope", Seth said shaking his head as he took a sip of his juice. "She is going on and off since the Founder's party", he added.

"So what do you think could be the reason?" Angela asked worried about her daughter.

"We are talking about Pearl here… unless she tell us what is bothering her we won't know", Seth responded.

The door bell rang and Seth made for the door while Angela carried on with her breakfast.

"Hey Angela", Elena announced as she entered the kitchen with Seth beside her.

"Hey Elena", Angela smiled at the tall brunette. "How are you? Come, join us".

"I am fine and already full. Where is Pearl?" she questioned about her best friend.

"Cooped up in her room", Seth replied picking up his bag from the floor. "Paul is here", he told Angela and left.

"Hey Elena", Angela called as the tall girl was about to exit the kitchen. "Do you know what is wrong with Pearl?" she inquired.

"Not really… ", Elena lied and quickly rushed out of the place to escape Pearl's mother inquiry session.

She knocked on the door and heard Pearl's croaked voice.

"Come in… ". Elena opened the door and got inside.

"Elena", Pearl said, looking surprised. She was sitting beside the window in her loose tank top and baggy trousers. Her hairs were tousled. Elena became worried seeing her current state.

"Why didn't you answer any of my calls", Elena asked taking a seat beside Pearl. "I was worried about you". Pearl nodded, still looking out.

"So what happened? You okay?" Elena questioned, holding her small hand to gain her attention.

"As okay as I can be after getting shot", she responded with shrug.

"What?" Elena exclaimed, her eyes the size of saucers.

"Yeah, last night in the cemetery… Logan Fell came and shot me and then Stefan", she informed her with a casual tone.

"But you seem okay", Elena stated confused as Pearl didn't have any visible injuries.

"Well I was saved…. ", Pearl started. "By Damon", she continued a little hesitant to told Elena about his good deed.

"Damon?" Elena said creasing her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Damon", she confirmed. "He took out the bullet which was wooden. And forced me to drink his blood to heal the wound", she further said with a disgusted look on her face. She could still feel nauseous at the thought of drinking blood. Elena nodded.

"We should go to the boarding house. Stefan called, saying he had found Vicki", Elena told her short framed friend.

"You go… I don't wanna have an early Damon dose", she responded shaking her head.

"Why… he saved your life, right!" Elena said.

"Yeah, so… what am I suppose to do? Give him a medal for that", she replied sarcastically.

"No but a little thanks would suffice which I am sure you haven't said to him", Elena responded with a smile.

"You are team Damon now", she exclaimed with an accusing tone.

"May be on this issue, he saved your life at least he deserved at thanks …if it wasn't for him God knows what could have happened", Elena flinched thinking about the possibilities. "Now get ready, you are coming with me and that's final", she ordered with finality in her voice.

"And people say I am bossy", Pearl huffed as she stood up.

* * *

At the Salvatore house Damon and Stefan were taking care of the newly turned vampire- Vicki Donovan.

"I don't understand why I have to stay cooped up here", Vicki complained as she gave Stefan back his phone after talking to her brother. "Why can't I just go home?"

"Because you're changing, Vicki", Stefan argued. "It's not something you wanna do alone".

"There's nothing about that Logan guy I killed in here", Damon piped up as he moved from the window. He flung the newspaper to Stefan after going through it. "Not a word. Someone's covering it up", he concluded occupying a seat.

"What is that?" Vicki questioned as Damon brought out a compass and fiddled with it.

"This is a very special, very old compass", Damon replied. "What was Logan Fell doing with it? Aren't you curious?" he directed at his brother.

"Well, if you're so worried that somebody's onto you, why don't you just leave town, Damon?" Stefan retorted.

"We should all be worried", Damon said back.

"Hey, um, I'm hungry", Vicki said rubbing her stomach. "Do you have anything to eat?" she asked hopeful.

"Here", Stefan passed her a cup from a table.

"What is it?" she quizzed smelling the blood.

"It's what you're craving", Stefan responded.

"Heh. Don't lie to the girl", Damon spoke up. "It's so not what you're craving, but it'll do in a pinch, right, Stef?" he added, smirking at his brother.

"What is it?" she repeated sniffing the animal blood again.

"Yeah, what is it? Is it a skunk? Saint Bernard? Bambi?" Damon joked.

"Go on", Stefan urged the blonde girl. "Give it a try".

"She's new. She needs people blood", Damon said to his brother. "She can't sustain on that stuff", he shook his head.

"Yeah, why can't I have people blood?" Vicki asked casually.

"Yeah", Damon quizzed with a straight face.

"Because it's wrong to prey on innocent people, Vicki", Stefan explained.

"You don't have to kill to feed", Damon told her. "Just find someone really tasty and then erase their memory after wards. It's so easy", he continued, tempting the new vampire.

"No, no, no. There's no guarantee that you can control yourself, okay?" Stefan tried to convince her. "It takes years to learn that. You could easily kill somebody, and then you have to carry that with you for the rest of your life, which, if I haven't made clear, is eternity".

"Don't listen to him. He walks on a moral plane way out of our eye line. I say snatch, eat, erase", the blue eyed Salvatore told her with hand motions.

"Hey, look at me. We choose our own path. Our values and our actions, they define who we are", the young Salvatore argued.

"Okay, count Deepak", Damon rolled his eyes. "I am outta here".

Damon left the room and moved downstairs. He heard the sound of footsteps and reached the front door. The door bell rang and he opened the door seeing Elena and Pearl standing there.

"Is Stefan here?" both girls asked at the same time earning an amused look from the blue-eyed brother.

"Yep..!" Damon responded, popping 'p'.

"Where is he?" Elena questioned while Pearl wasn't paying attention anymore as she was contemplating a way to say thanks to the blue-eyed vampire that didn't boast his already big ego.

"He's upstairs singing 'the rain in Spain' ", Damon replied with a humorous tone. "Knock yourself out".

Elena entered the house and Pearl was about to follow her but stopped as Elena directed a look in her direction reminding Pearl what she wanted to forget so bad. Damon was leaning on the door frame looking at Pearl who started fiddling with her fingers.

"How are you?" he started the conversation.

"I am good and… ", Pearl trailed off, nodding her head.

"And", Damon questioned wiggling his jet black-eyebrows.

"I want to say thanks to you for saving my life last night", she said, staring in his orbs. Damon could easily sense the reluctance that she had while saying the magical word.

"Well you said last night…. ".

"I know what I said last night", Pearl cut him off with an annoying tone. "My memory isn't that bad", she added. "I just want to tell you that I am grateful and get over with it. Now that the 'thanks' is out of the window I could go back to being mean with you without feeling guilty".

Damon nodded with a smirk and Pearl rolled her eyes.

"Don't think that saying thanks mean I have forgiven you for everything", she prompted to remove any misunderstandings. "Now can you step aside", she added.

Damon moved a little leaving space for Pearl to enter. She stepped inside the house and made for the stairs. Damon was staring at her retreating form when she turned and found his eyes still on her.

"Why you saved me?" she asked the question that had troubled her the whole night. It was clear that the elder vampire had no humanity and didn't value human life even a bit then why saved her.

"Why not", Damon shrugged and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

In Mystic grill Mayor Lockwood was sitting in a booth with Carol and was talking about Logan's failure.

"We never should have trusted that Logan...Weasel with the watch", Mayor said to his wife.

"How many are we dealing with?" Carol asked anxiously.

"Well, the coroner thinks one. Something about the wound radius and the jaw pattern", he informed.

"Are we in danger? I mean, if it found the watch, then it knows we know, and could it come after us? A-and should I even be saying 'it'…? Or… or is it a he or a she?" she said, clearly frustrated.

"If it has any historical knowledge of the town, then it'll know where the watch came from, so yes, we could very much be in danger", Mayor explained.

"So what do we do?" she asked nervously.

"Just keep it quiet", he responded. "We can't have the entire town aware of this. We need to find it before it finds us".

None of them had the slightest clue that the vampire responsible for all the chaos in Mystic Falls was sitting at the bar, eavesdropping on their conversation and a smirk made its way on Damon Salvatore's lips as he took a swig of whiskey.

* * *

Pearl was going up stairs when she found Stefan in the hallway. He seemed to be in hurry.

"Where are you going?" she inquired.

"I need to get some blood for Vicki", Stefan answered. "How are you?" he questioned kindly.

"I am alright… what about Vicki?"

"She needs sometime but she will be okay", Stefan assured Pearl.

Pearl entered the room and saw Elena sitting alone. The tall brunette looked upwards as she heard Pearl's footsteps.

"Where is Vicki?" she directed at Elena, sitting beside her. Vicki entered the room at that instant.

"False alarm… My body's feeling really funky. It's a good funk, but it's weird", she told. "Hey Pearl", she added while bringing out her phone searching her contacts. Pearl smiled in return.

"You calling someone?" she questioned the Donovan girl.

"Yeah, Jeremy", the blonde girl replied.

"Vicki, you can't see Jeremy anymore", Elena forbade Vicki, standing up from her spot.

"Oh come on don't you start", Vicki said with an eye roll. "I'm gonna see whoever I wanna see",

"Even though you could hurt him…?" Elena countered.

"I would never hurt Jeremy", she defended.

"I know you think that but I can't take that risk", Elena responded. "You're gonna have to let Jeremy go now".

"Elena… ", Pearl warned her best friend as she saw Vicki's anger rising

"Oh really…? And how long have you been preparing the 'you're not good enough speech?' ", she reacted, her rage rising by every passing second. "I'm assuming it predates the whole vampire thing".

"All I am saying is Jeremy is not getting involved in any of this", Elena told her. "I mean it, Vicki", she added.

What happened next wasn't expected by Elena or Pearl. Vicki grabbed Elena's throat pushing her against the wall.

"Vicki", Pearl yelled and moved towards her trying to break her grip but it was too strong. "Let her go".

Vicki didn't respond to Pearl's protests and looked angrily at Elena in the eyes.

"Let's get one thing straight, you perky little bitch", Vicki said while Pearl continued her efforts as the blonde strangled Elena. "You had my brother whipped for 15 years. 15 years and then you dumped him. When I look at you that is all I see, just so you know. And I'm gonna see Jeremy whenever I wanna see Jeremy, because I have some fun new toys to play with, and I won't think twice about ripping your little head off", she hissed. "You got it?" she added and let go of Elena's throat leaving the room.

"You okay", Pearl asked worried giving support to Elena who was having a coughing fit. Soon Stefan joined them and then Elena told him the whole story of Vicki's attacking her.

"She threatened me", Elena said, still shocked of what had happened.

"She's on edge", Stefan justified. "Imagine every sense in your body operating at super speed. I mean, she's uncomfortable in her own skin. And then when you throw in her other issues... ", he informed her.

"How long do you think it will take to control her thirst and these temptations…", Pearl questioned. "Or tantrums", she added simply.

"There's no rule book", Stefan answered looking at Pearl.

"Well, how long before you learned to control it?" Elena pried.

"A while, But I didn't have anybody helping me. I had to do it on my own", Stefan found the silver lining. "The thing is it's hard to resist certain people especially when you're new, it's difficult to separate your feelings. Love, lust, anger, desire...it can all blur into one urge, hunger".

"Hunger…?" Pearl asked not sure what to make out of his statement.

"What does that mean?" Elena quizzed.

"It means that Jeremy can't see her, not now", Stefan responded, shaking his head. "She might not be able to resist him, and she could hurt him".

"Or worse", Elena said seriously.

"I'm not gonna let anybody get hurt", Stefan gave his word to both girls.

"We should go", Elena directed at Pearl, picking her bag. Pearl did the same.

"Elena... ", Stefan called.

"Please Stefan. There's only so much I can take", she said and left.

Pearl looked at Stefan with a sympathetic look on her face and he just smiled in return trying to show that he was fine. Pearl had realized how much love Stefan had for her best friend but Elena was right too... there was so much a girl can take.

* * *

Pearl arrived at school and found Caroline and Bonnie talking beside the lockers. She made her way towards them.

"Hey Bon, hey Care", she greeted her olive-skinned and blonde friend, adjusting her backpack.

"Where were you?" Caroline asked the petite beauty.

"Here and there", she replied vaguely, grinning.

"What's that?" Pearl snatched the bag from Bonnie's hands and brought out a hat of her Halloween costume. She held it up examining every inch of the hat closely her eyes twinkling with mischief. She looked at Bonnie.

"Don't", Bonnie warned Pearl.

"What… it's cool. I like it", Pearl smirked at Bonnie.

"I bought this", Caroline piped up.

"It's almost perfect… you just need a broom and then you will be the coolest witch on earth", Pearl said with a straight face. "Later you can even use it for sweeping floors".

"See that's why I don't want to wear it", Bonnie directed at Caroline who rolled her eyes.

"Come on", Caroline complained. "Can someone please be excited that it's Halloween? I just wanna have fun, you know, just some silly, fluffy, Damon free fun".

"I wish", Pearl sighed.

"I have something for you too Pearl", Caroline told her passing the other bag she was holding.

"No, no, no", Pearl shook her head. "I am not wearing even a single thing present in this bag. The last time I let you guys choose my costume… I still get nightmares about it", she trembled at the memory.

"That dark angel outfit was sexy", Bonnie smirked at her.

"It was a little too sexy for my liking. The guys were staring at me like they wanted to make me their next meal", Pearl retorted.

"Take this, you have no choice... ", Caroline thrust the bag in her hands. Pearl looked at the bag and gulped dreading the unknown.

"So, have you seen Elena? Do we know what she's wearing?" Caroline questioned Pearl.

"Maybe she's with Stefan", Bonnie replied.

"No, she is at home", Pearl responded.

* * *

Pearl went to her home the costume bag still in her hands. She placed it in her room and then moved downstairs to her mother's room. Pearl knocked on the door.

"Come in", she heard Angela's voice from the other side.

"Hey, mum", she said as she made for the bed on which her mother was resting.

"Hey dear… How are you?" Angela questioned as Pearl sat beside Angela pulling the covers over her stretched legs.

"I am good… what about you", she asked, tilting her head to the side. "You must be very tired because of the night shifts for the past few days".

"Yeah… ", Angela sighed. "But no more night shifts for at least a week", she informed her daughter. "So are you going to Halloween?"

"Yeah I am… no more social-boycott", Pearl smirked.

"Good… ", Angela encouraged her. "Have you talked to Zach for past couple of days?" she asked the dreaded question.

"No, mum… why?" she tried her hardest to act casual.

"I called his place but his nephew told me he left town… he never went like this before", Angela stated with a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah I forgot Stefan, his nephew, mentioned that he was leaving because of something urgent… didn't elaborate though", Pearl lied to her mother with guilt eating her up from the inside.

* * *

Pearl arrived at Mystic Grill with Seth posing as a Greek goddess. She was dressed in a white mini dress with one white short sleeve and the other one leather brown. Around her small waist she was wearing a leather belt and gladiator sandals in her delicate feet. Her dark black hairs were draped over her shoulders with slight curls at the end. Seth was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt with a scary zombie on it.

"You have eaten barely an hour ago and now you are hungry again", she grumbled as she got out of the car and locked it.

"Yeah I am not like you, I do have a proper appetite", Seth shot back at her.

"Proper appetite", Pearl asked with raised eyebrows. "You have a Godzilla appetite, man".

"Whatever", he rolled his eyes as they walked inside. Pearl and Seth sat in a corner booth and he ordered a greased burger with lots of fries.

"Hurry", she said as Seth tucked in his food. "We don't have all the time in the world".

Seth ignored her statement and ate his burger, enjoying every bite while Pearl frowned at him wanting nothing more than to snatch it from his hands and dragged him outside the grill. She was unaware of the blue eyes that were on her, noticing her every movement.

"Can we go, now", Pearl said impatiently as Seth finished his food and wiped his hands.

"Give me a sec… I gotta go to bathroom", Seth announced as he stood up from his chair.

"Next time you are hitching a ride with someone else", she growled while he smirked at her. "I am leaving you if you don't return in 2 minutes", she hollered at him as he went away.

"You look stunning", the elder Salvatore joined her occupying Seth's place. "What are you dressed as", he asked. Pearl didn't answer. She took no notice of him acting like he wasn't sitting in front of her.

"Silent treatment", Damon smirked at her. "It's very childish, Pearl".

"What do you want, Damon", Pearl snapped.

"Oh she speaks", Damon faked surprise.

"And she can punch too", Pearl prompted while Damon chuckled.

"I have come for a small, friendly chat… that's it", he said innocently.

"Yeah and by small, friendly chat you mean annoying me to no ends with your constant babbling", she countered.

"Come on, I am not that bad", Damon complained staring in her dark-brown orbs that were standing out because of her dark-black eyeliner.

"Your words not mine", she said offhandedly.

"Hey… lets go", Seth announced interrupting the banter.

"You must be Seth", Damon said standing up and shaking the younger Norman's hand. "Pearl told me a lot about you", he added smiling at Pearl while Pearl glowered at him.

"Really, must be all the bad things", Seth smirked in Pearl's direction.

"Shut up, Seth", Pearl spat, angry at her brother for being friendly with Damon.

"So, she acts mean towards everyone, and here I was thinking I am special", Damon directed at Seth who chuckled.

"We are getting late", Pearl told Seth. "Come on", she grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the grill.

"I like your boyfriend", Seth gave his opinion as they reached the car.

"He is not my boyfriend", Pearl snapped unlocking the ride.

"Of course he is not", Seth said sarcastically.

* * *

Pearl arrived at the Halloween party and joined Bonnie and Caroline.

"Wow, you look beautiful", Bonnie complimented her.

"Thanks", Pearl said. "But the sandals are killing me", she added making a face.

"But they are great with your outfit", Caroline told her.

"Cider for the ladies", Tyler said coming to them passing them drinks. "It's a Lockwood special".

"No way", Bonnie refused. "Last year I was hung over until Thanksgiving".

"And if you don't want me to spoil the party I guess you should keep it away from me", Pearl said seriously. Tyler and Bonnie chuckled.

"Light weights", Caroline muttered. "I am going to drink until someone is hot enough to make out with", she informed them.

"Sounds like a plan", Tyler said clinking his glass with Caroline's one.

Pearl found Elena and Jeremy as they were making their way through the crowd of people dressed in different costumes.

"Hey Lena, hey Jer… ".

"You look amazing", Elena praised her beautiful friend. Jeremy's eyes were scanning the surroundings.

"Thanks…. Caroline's idea", she informed her. "You went with your last year's outfit".

"Yeah, I have no plan of coming but Jeremy wants to come so… ", Elena trailed off.

"Where is Seth", Jeremy questioned Pearl about her younger sibling.

"He was with Paul…. he didn't know you were coming", she replied.

"Okay… ", Jeremy said and left their side.

"What about your last year's costume", Elena smirked, as they walked through the mass of vampires, witches and other beasts.

"It threw it away as soon as I took it off on that Halloween night", she said back and Elena chuckled.

"Looking good, Pearl", Matt directed at the petite beauty and she smiled in return. "You went with last year's costume too, huh?" he referred to Elena's outfit.

"Yeah", Elena nodded. "I didn't know that I was coming till an hour ago".

"Me neither but Vicki insisted. I'm trying not to smother her tonight, but part of me didn't wanna let her out of my sight", Matt said to them.

"She's here?" Elena asked appalled.

"Yeah, you can't miss her. She's a vampire", Matt responded with a laugh.

"We have to find Jer… come on, Pearl", Elena said flustered.

* * *

"Thank God", Elena sounded relieved as she and Pearl found Stefan with Vicki who didn't seem happy at all.

"What's the matter?" Stefan showed his concern.

"We couldn't find Jeremy", Pearl informed the green-eyed Salvatore.

"What's going on?" Matt walked to them passing questioning looks to everyone.

"Hey. Uh, everything's fine", Stefan assured him.

"I told you to quit bothering me", Vicki said abruptly, feigning innocence.

"Come on, Vicki… don't lie", Pearl directed at the vampire girl.

"Matt, he won't leave me alone", Vicki complained to her brother.

"You need to back off, man", Matt warned Stefan, protective of his sister.

"Matt, it's... its okay", Elena took sides with Stefan.

"No, it's not okay", Matt spat. "What the hell is your problem?" he shoved Stefan. Pearl felt a brush of wind that was gone unnoticed by two boys. She looked around and there was no Vicki.

"She's gone", Pearl announced worriedly.

"I'm trying to help her", Stefan hissed grabbing Matt's shirt.

* * *

Pearl, Elena and Stefan parted ways searching for Vicki before she could do any damage. Pearl and Elena reached outside near the parking and heard Jeremy's screams.

"Vicki, no!" they both shouted at the girl whose face was no more human. She released her hold on Jeremy and stalked towards Elena hunger clear in her eyes.

Pearl looked around her and found a wooden plank. She moved to Vicki hitting her with all the strength she had but the plank broke into two halves leaving Pearl defenseless in front of the strong vampire. Vicki grabbed Pearl around the neck and threw her into a heap of garbage. Pearl groaned as she hit the ground.

"Pearl", Elena shouted. Her shout brought Vicki's attention on the tall brunette and she moved to attack her but Stefan came out of no where preventing Vicki from hurting Elena. He held her against the bus.

"Vicki", Jeremy shouted.

Vicki shoved Stefan with her newly found great strength and disappeared.

"Go… ", Stefan yelled as he helped Pearl to her feet. "Get inside. Go!"

Elena supported her friend and brother and the three of them made for the school building to save their lives but they weren't so lucky. The three of them were stopped by Vicki. She pushed Jeremy and Pearl out of the way focusing on Elena as her target.

"Ah!" Elena screamed as Vicki bit in her flesh.

Pearl stared wide eyed as Stefan zipped to the scene and staked Vicki. A weak cry escaped her lips as she saw Vicki Donovan fell on the ground with no life in her. Vicki was gone- gone forever.

"Vicki! Vicki! Vicki! Vicki!" Jeremy moved forward to Vicki's desiccated body but he was stopped by younger Salvatore.

Pearl trudged towards Vicki unaware of what was going on around her. She could no longer hear Jeremy's cries or Elena's shouts. She fell on her knees beside Vicki's body looking at her not able to comprehend what had happened.

"Get him out of here", Elena said to Stefan as she moved to Vicki's body. She joined Pearl and hugged her crying her eyes out. But Pearl was quite.

Stefan dialed Damon's number.

"What?" he heard Damon's voice from other end.

"I need your help", Stefan stated and hung up.

* * *

None of them knew how much time had passed when Damon approached them.

"You should go", he told them. "I got this".

"You did this", Elena hissed standing up. "This is your fault", she blamed him. Pearl couldn't bring herself to say anything. She was still finding it difficult to believe that she was sitting beside Vicki's body.

"You confuse me for someone with remorse", Damon stated plainly. "None of this matter to me, none of it", he made clear.

"Let's go, Elena", Pearl said finally finding her voice. She stood up from the ground and took the tall brunette's arm not even glancing in Damon's direction.

They were walking towards the parking when Matt stopped them.

"Hey guys, have you seen...", he questioned. "Whoa. wh...what happened?" he added as he saw Elena's bloodied clothes.

"Nothing… Some idiot with some fake blood got me", Elena lied. "I'm gonna go home and shower".

"I...I can't find Vicki", he told them. "She totally bailed on me". Matt looked around again searching for his sister but Elena and Pearl knew he was never going to find her.

"We haven't seen her… don't know where she is", this time Pearl was the one who lied.

"Is this what I'm in for, a lifetime of worrying about her?" Matt questioned.

"Pearl", Seth came to them interrupting their conversation. "Where were you? I wanna go home". "Are you okay?", Seth added seeing his sister's distressed state.

"Yeah I am", she smiled a fake smile. "You go home… tell mum I am staying night at Elena's", she said giving him the car keys.

"You sure", Seth asked as he took the keys from her. Pearl nodded.

"Seth have you seen Vicki", Matt directed at him.

"Nope", he shook his head. "May be she has gone home", he suggested further and left.

"Yeah, Maybe she went home", Matt said staring at the two girls.

"You're a good brother, Matt", Elena patted his arm and both girls left.

* * *

Pearl and Elena arrived at Gilbert house and found Stefan who told them Jeremy was inside his room. Elena got inside the room while Pearl stood outside. She could hear Jeremy's sobs and Elena's reassuring words to soothe him. After sometime Elena came out of the room and patted Pearl's shoulder who was staring into space.

"I am going out", Elena directed at her and walked down the stairs. Pearl heard the sound of door being closed.

There were no tears in Pearl's eyes. It was like her eyes got tired of crying and didn't want to cry anymore. It was like she was getting used to it… seeing people getting hurt, seeing them die. Everything was changing and it was causing a big change in her too.

Damon entered the house and saw Pearl standing near the door like she was guarding younger Gilbert.

"Elena wants me to make him forget everything that happened tonight", he informed her even though she didn't ask. She moved aside and Damon entered the room.

Damon exited the room after a few minutes and stood beside Pearl. He looked down at her with a soft look in his eyes.

"If you want, I can make you forget too", he told her. Pearl didn't answer right away but when she did her voice was full of pain and it clenched Damon's heart.

"What are you going to make me forget", she questioned her voice cracking with every word. "Tanner's death, Zach's death, you turning Vicki into a vampire, Elena and Jeremy getting hurt… or Stefan staking her...! Then what about the next time, Damon? How many times are you going to compel me? How many bodies am I going to mourn? Can you give me your word that this is the last time that after this everything will be fine, then you are welcome to compel me", she looked intensely in his crystal blue orbs waiting for his answer. The elder Salvatore remained quite.

"See you can't", she spoke up. "Every day I wake up thinking that today might be different, that I no longer have to lie, no longer have to act like I am feeling fine but in reality I am not… but ever night when I went to bed I was thinking about what lie I am going feed to my loved ones, how am I going to hide everything", her voice broke and tears finally cascade down her rosy cheeks. "I am tired of this, Damon", she added finally breaking down.

Damon didn't know what to say to her, how to provide her the comfort that she needed but he remembered something—a memory. He did what he had done 145 years ago to comfort Silvia when she needed him on that dark night, the night that turned everything upside down. Pearl was different from Silvia but yet seemed so similar to him, may be that was because of their strong resemblance. Damon at last moved forward and hugged Pearl.

The petite beauty was first startled at the caring gesture and tried to break free Damon's grip but he was persistent… just like he was on the night he had saved her life. And Pearl gave in finally just like she had that night when he fed her his blood, repeating the History.

**A/N:-**

**So what you guys think about the chapter? Tell me your opinion about Damon and Pearl scenes. I don't want to rush things between them so you guys have to be patient for their epic romance.**

**Also I can't wait to bring Klaus in all the drama but it's sad that I have to wait till season 2**

**Tell me how can I improve and if you have any ideas, suggestions feel free to share. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Any questions you guys have feel free to ask.**


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